tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43040248809291702202024-02-19T10:54:30.674-06:00Confessions of JennyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869125564499394191noreply@blogger.comBlogger264125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-75735929902189151702017-10-19T21:20:00.000-05:002017-10-19T21:39:26.804-05:00Andrew's Adoption Story<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I stared at the computer screen. There were nearly two dozen tabs open at the top of my browser about “starting the adoption process”. We were 15 minutes into this whole adoption thing, and I was already feeling overwhelmed. David had his laptop open doing the same Google searches.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“Where do we even start?” He asked me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">“I have no idea” I responded.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdI4DT_gUa2JE8mAlqAdJzUNZZN4VNHNw54WUw5b0zB2mgup4UKh-HU0j7M_R_okeQhiAN3QYzNhJbwPC68KVDTBpWJdrbQU3Jdqj5xfMfsY5pwwf8_iRP9DeuHItuwBmOTX0htmZ-3y9/s1600/untitled-100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdI4DT_gUa2JE8mAlqAdJzUNZZN4VNHNw54WUw5b0zB2mgup4UKh-HU0j7M_R_okeQhiAN3QYzNhJbwPC68KVDTBpWJdrbQU3Jdqj5xfMfsY5pwwf8_iRP9DeuHItuwBmOTX0htmZ-3y9/s640/untitled-100.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we started dating we discussed adoption the way many couples talk about where they want to live or places they’d like to travel. It was a “someday dream” that we were now trying to make a realistic possibility.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few months into marriage, we learned that our odds of having children naturally were slim, and were officially in the "infertility" category, so we made the decision to adopt. We already knew it was something we wanted to do, so it was an easy choice. However, I was still j</span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">ealous of friends who had babies, I was sad that I wouldn’t experience pregnancy, and I was mad that we would have to go through a maze of paperwork to have kids while the crazy lady in line behind me at Walmart had 4 that she couldn’t even keep track of. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cJ9zvBwrb1RfWYe_m_h29W7MuKce_8Jrr0mvRAzYxx0z-f1at0C5vtHKeKyfEYhGIwq015r0e-ziE8u93XuwHrLl88vtW4UB2qBQ177_ZPRe9P1GqplKcIRyicofOJ9V6lsG3qEtRys6/s1600/untitled-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cJ9zvBwrb1RfWYe_m_h29W7MuKce_8Jrr0mvRAzYxx0z-f1at0C5vtHKeKyfEYhGIwq015r0e-ziE8u93XuwHrLl88vtW4UB2qBQ177_ZPRe9P1GqplKcIRyicofOJ9V6lsG3qEtRys6/s640/untitled-8.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Around this time, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started listening to the book “Uninvited” by Lysa TerKeurst. This quote stuck with me: “It is impossible to hold up the banners of victim and victory at the same time.” I felt very convicted about the fact that I was spending a lot of time focusing on "what could have been" rather than what God was calling us to. </span><span style="background-color: white; white-space: pre-wrap;">I finally began embracing infertility as part of my story instead of disparaging it as a cross to bear. By God’s grace, I slowly stopped comparing my story to everyone else’s and started getting excited about the story God was writing for us. I promised I would share God's goodness with anyone who would listen, which is the basis for this post.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNnQ59t1he4BUqXjf6AbG6r6v3ScD0Ed5lnSBlgzTmgbfChNjTyZZWPeHjMUA1yi4wf5IhRQHCpCQuE3fP8lJE19edjjT7xK_Ci60_LtrVyhh2NDn6lLInZSzwcwpkaXkgsOwJQ-78SIQ/s1600/untitled-63.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNnQ59t1he4BUqXjf6AbG6r6v3ScD0Ed5lnSBlgzTmgbfChNjTyZZWPeHjMUA1yi4wf5IhRQHCpCQuE3fP8lJE19edjjT7xK_Ci60_LtrVyhh2NDn6lLInZSzwcwpkaXkgsOwJQ-78SIQ/s640/untitled-63.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After a lot of prayer and research, we decided to pursue a domestic, infant adoption. We were ready to start our home study -- which is the first step. A two-inch thick envelope showed up in our mail, and I set a goal to finish it by my birthday in October, which was 4 months away. October came and went, and we were nowhere near ready. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, at the beginning of May 2017 after interviews, trainings, physicals, and more our home study was complete. We could now officially start the process to find a baby to adopt.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_56r_ef86i6w2hxe2W6CSKdDgyTUrlLTYOf44GMfIUkQ_EVEgL9T1Ll_pP_v_MqwwxJhdE4zSVknjhq9B57mD0cFGHizaPCamuWytP_F3s-Cz0VKFdqZksalM0hGmm_CZKMDj3qNCF_u/s1600/untitled-449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq_56r_ef86i6w2hxe2W6CSKdDgyTUrlLTYOf44GMfIUkQ_EVEgL9T1Ll_pP_v_MqwwxJhdE4zSVknjhq9B57mD0cFGHizaPCamuWytP_F3s-Cz0VKFdqZksalM0hGmm_CZKMDj3qNCF_u/s640/untitled-449.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In August, we got the</span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> phone call that would change everything. A birth mother had chosen us - we were matched! She was due in Mid-September with a baby girl. We were surprised at the quick turn of events, and thrilled that our dreams were becoming a reality. We signed papers on a Thursday, went shopping for a few baby essentials on Saturday, and watched the solar eclipse in our backyard on Monday.</span></span></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we came in after watching the eclipse, our expectant mom called me. She had been to the doctor and wanted us to know they were monitoring her closely. She wasn't sure what to expect, but the one thing she was sure about was the baby wasn't a girl - it was a boy! We were shocked and thrilled that we were getting closer to meeting our baby. We packed our bags just in case we got the call, but ultimately knew it was going to be day by day for a while.</span></span></div>
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<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That Thursday in the middle of my first class I got the call that our birth mother was going into delivery. I left school in a frenzy, David came and picked me up, and we started our trek to Florida. We got a call on the way down that the baby was here, and we couldn't wait to meet him.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TouyuJjjr2tcb0NwVmHbIYsUEKP7Q4OZJDBtyKxnqsQ8hqIbjhLjkA94fPEwxsZhzwVu0B6ngrNrBu5kakgjnU0zWvknkYJITtIAfsK-dkm4hZ6Txp2wTA4Ocakno1bMn9OTDCs7qHRz/s1600/untitled-157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TouyuJjjr2tcb0NwVmHbIYsUEKP7Q4OZJDBtyKxnqsQ8hqIbjhLjkA94fPEwxsZhzwVu0B6ngrNrBu5kakgjnU0zWvknkYJITtIAfsK-dkm4hZ6Txp2wTA4Ocakno1bMn9OTDCs7qHRz/s640/untitled-157.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-b2f5fcda-3715-74f1-c981-dc13e036b7e4" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We arrived at the hospital around 11pm. Walking in all I could think was "don't faint." When we got up to the hospital room, we were greeted by his biological family, and baby Andrew was handed to us. He was so handsome with his squished up face and head full of hair. It was surreal - I wish I had the words to describe it. All I can say is our smiles were huge and our hearts were full. Our dreams were coming true right before our eyes, and we were just doing our best to soak it in.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFloytppckB1qGNQRsaJgNBKC6AG-8nnxpkg7n99n8MzaZ2EQmtxUYhkG1b9JR4CMG_F1hChyphenhyphenAKfHYNrSrEbxemX2jPbVJbyM4_xqAHAbV2D7o3z2WY3ZyjnY_jSPmW73ybsXz47ksHHu/s1600/untitled-94+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxFloytppckB1qGNQRsaJgNBKC6AG-8nnxpkg7n99n8MzaZ2EQmtxUYhkG1b9JR4CMG_F1hChyphenhyphenAKfHYNrSrEbxemX2jPbVJbyM4_xqAHAbV2D7o3z2WY3ZyjnY_jSPmW73ybsXz47ksHHu/s640/untitled-94+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Our little man needed to spend some time in the NICU. We were hoping it would be a 5 day stay, but a few days in we learned we would be there for about 3 weeks. We made hotel arrangements and settled into our new normal. At the 10 day mark, just as my mom was coming into town to stay with us for a few days, Hurricane Irma became a threat. Her path was unknown; the stores' shelves were empty and gas supplies were dwindling. We began preparing to "hunker down" by searching for water and keeping our gas tank full. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thankfully Andrew was improving faster than anticipated. We learned that he would get discharged after only 13 days in the NICU -- three days before the hurricane was expected to hit. The day of his discharge, we got word that we could leave the state of Florida -- which we weren’t expecting for another few days. All in all, everything came together perfectly for us to get home and out of harm’s way. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVyDb5r9x8XYVHVdu8hvIN9_Zy4mBLJWssUGHjOceLlwn2MsD8I8Qgw02sg3vulqq_Momdt_Ut1y1ngYf357VcXkAweqyzxqShIyK4wDJ9Xi3OVZZl_BZ2VDbSBd2mxbxs7ysL2ZqeRAr/s1600/untitled-112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJVyDb5r9x8XYVHVdu8hvIN9_Zy4mBLJWssUGHjOceLlwn2MsD8I8Qgw02sg3vulqq_Momdt_Ut1y1ngYf357VcXkAweqyzxqShIyK4wDJ9Xi3OVZZl_BZ2VDbSBd2mxbxs7ysL2ZqeRAr/s640/untitled-112.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through this whole process I kept going back to the song “Teach Me Lord” based on Isaiah 40:31. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My favorite lyrics are as follows:</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teach me, Lord, to wait - down on my knees. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">T</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">ill in your own good time you'll answer my pleas. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Teach me not to rely on what others do. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: center; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But to wait in prayer for an answer from you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: 48px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There were so many times that I wanted things to happen in my own way, but I had to wait on the Lord until in His time He answered our prayers. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 48px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">For instance, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">David got a new job in 2016, so we had to move and sell our house. </span></span><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I bought that house in 2009, I was nowhere near getting married or starting a family, but God knew that in 2016, the housing market would be hot. We were able to sell my house in less than 48 hours with enough equity to cover most of the adoption costs thanks to our renovations. Additionally, when we </span><span style="text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> got the call that we were matched, the full payment for the adoption was due within 48 hours. (Ill let you do a Google search for the average price of a domestic adoption). We were about $9,000 short on having the cash on hand. That night, my student loan finances came through and $9,117 was deposited into our bank account.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Also, I got a new job when we moved, so I wasn't eligible for maternity leave until I had been there a year -- which was a couple of weeks before the adoption happened. </span><span style="text-indent: 48px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I had 5 school days to get my curriculum together for my long term sub. She came to shadow me on a Wednesday; our birth mother delivered on Thursday. Furthermore, my curriculum was updated this summer, and it was fully comprehensive and able to just be handed over to the sub. People who are teachers understand what a blessing this was!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">My mom came to see us in Florida. Her flight was scheduled to depart the day the hurricane was predicted to hit. She went to the airport on a whim after David and I had safely left, and was able to catch a flight that same night to make it back to Kansas City quickly and safely after being told multiple times there were no flights available. Speaking of the hurricane, </span><span style="text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">Andrew was born 25 days early. He was in the NICU for 13 days. He was discharged 3 days before the hurricane hit. If he had been born at any other time, we would have been caught in the midst of the storm either traveling to him or staying with him.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJDkvrCcYAZiGSQ_gmNMkznqBBy6rvTrHmG5yP846MRkhx08-YH5fouk9CgVeRoy9VN7lUNw3W3RoXkd6x8McCz2_lSS68L8-ezSrZkXUSio7dAkqwjai3gm89sJjUIKBH4BXU0AzI8U/s1600/untitled-159+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoJDkvrCcYAZiGSQ_gmNMkznqBBy6rvTrHmG5yP846MRkhx08-YH5fouk9CgVeRoy9VN7lUNw3W3RoXkd6x8McCz2_lSS68L8-ezSrZkXUSio7dAkqwjai3gm89sJjUIKBH4BXU0AzI8U/s640/untitled-159+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When we first started our home study, our social worker told us that she firmly believed if God was calling a couple to adopt, He already had the baby planned. We have no doubt that God had Andrew planned for us all along. God's hand was in every single detail, and we can't wait to see what He has planned for this precious boy. We are so grateful for those of you who have been and will continue to be part of his story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Photos by <a href="http://cherishandrea.com/">Cherish Andrea</a> aka The Best Photographer Ever</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869125564499394191noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-21744544118114039582017-04-24T21:30:00.001-05:002017-04-29T07:46:08.493-05:00We're Adopting!It's no secret that I love children. In high school, I worked at a daycare where I would rock babies to sleep after school and play with four-year-olds out on the playground. In the summer I would pick up baby sitting jobs and spend all day at the pool playing diving games. I decided to become a teacher, so I could spend all day with kids. When my friends started having babies, I would spend more time with the kids than the adults. So it probably comes at no surprise that David and I are excited to bring children into our family.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8WTzfHc2d7hwzAxcq2ryX2JylfU6lnb7IRSBHXUBb0p0H-uoBWMwaYxsLzLqsawCJ672VYlLvX2qJ-hC88rZdid4Gyge8y4tZrX4j-t5Ai58gFNm6jdaauSX_72E0yERngsh9QUr-7Jh/s1600/We+are+adopting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH8WTzfHc2d7hwzAxcq2ryX2JylfU6lnb7IRSBHXUBb0p0H-uoBWMwaYxsLzLqsawCJ672VYlLvX2qJ-hC88rZdid4Gyge8y4tZrX4j-t5Ai58gFNm6jdaauSX_72E0yERngsh9QUr-7Jh/s640/We+are+adopting.jpg" width="588" /></a></div>
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We've spent the last ten months working through the home study process, which is the first step in adoption. On July 20, 2016, we got an envelope that was about two inches thick with all of the paperwork we needed to complete. I optimistically thought I would be able to complete it fairly easily, but starting a new job, finishing my dissertation proposal, and just settling into a new home in a new state got in the way. We got it done at the end of January, and then we had a few interviews, a home inspection, a physical, and background checks. We are now literally licensed to parent! (I have a sinking suspicion that isn't going to make the whole parenting gig much easier.) In other words, the home study portion of the adoption journey is over.<br />
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Our next step is to file with agencies - which means more paperwork. The agency will show our profile to expectant parents who are considering adoption, and if an expectant mom chooses us to parent her baby, we will be "matched". At that point, we will have a better idea of when a child could be entering our home. Right now, we are just praying that God will guide us and the birth parents to each other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLYufHe7MsbiKNbWHBYpz-FRVSmcf9bez5Zx12tHpLgA403RWKqw3Tdl0nbj3u20YB6NJCxAOBaT7cqW3E0q7VWDIftcppqO4Z6v8duMrtjtyeULXuyzNuxjLmNXhdvkjdWoXe1DlEWV9/s1600/PicMonkey+Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrLYufHe7MsbiKNbWHBYpz-FRVSmcf9bez5Zx12tHpLgA403RWKqw3Tdl0nbj3u20YB6NJCxAOBaT7cqW3E0q7VWDIftcppqO4Z6v8duMrtjtyeULXuyzNuxjLmNXhdvkjdWoXe1DlEWV9/s640/PicMonkey+Image.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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We've decided to pursue domestic adoption. Ideally, we will be matched with a healthy infant, but we are open to many possibilities including sibling groups or various health concerns. We are following God's prompting, and we trust that He has the perfect story planned for us. I'm not going to lie. It stresses me out to not know the timeline. I'm really worried about the finances. I fret about the many unknowns that come with adoption, but we know we can trust in God's plan.<br />
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It's like that hymn says, "Tis so sweet to Trust in Jesus, How I've proved Him o'er and o'er." Now we just pray for grace to trust Him more. That's our anthem right now. Trust in Jesus. He called us here, and He will lead us where we need to go.<br />
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Feel free to check out <a href="http://auxierjenny.wixsite.com/auxiersadopt">our adoption website</a> if you would like to know a little bit more about our story.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869125564499394191noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-20040088518618156212017-02-04T08:09:00.003-06:002017-02-04T08:24:59.374-06:002016 Photo BookWhen I was in high school, one of my extra-curricular activities was the yearbook. I loved photographing moments, writing about different activities, and putting it all together in a keepsake. I've always wanted to make yearbooks for my actual life, but I've never figured out a system that works. Having all of my photos and memories in one place was a far off goal achieved only by people who could lock themselves into a room for hours on end to complete the task, but in 2016 I found a secret weapon that allowed me to catalog my memories without dedicating my entire life to the process.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH5sT3m91PWj4FhTDVXoWbcKeNDEC_UoUOEibTJ6eFhbtKC0-D23xKYOSHRAcnAoUzdd1uz0JnzGwrdq2kWmKvR4w5_VMJieF6HWsoYrElIRx4F5pS3M5kAD8OHzqry7_ImU1LuGs-Wfa/s1600/IMG_20170204_075005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsH5sT3m91PWj4FhTDVXoWbcKeNDEC_UoUOEibTJ6eFhbtKC0-D23xKYOSHRAcnAoUzdd1uz0JnzGwrdq2kWmKvR4w5_VMJieF6HWsoYrElIRx4F5pS3M5kAD8OHzqry7_ImU1LuGs-Wfa/s640/IMG_20170204_075005.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Over the years, I've tried several things to keep track of my photos. For a while, I used <a href="https://chatbooks.com/">Chatbooks,</a> but that wasn't a great solution for me since I don't post most of my photos on social media. I also tried to make digital scrapbooks for special occasions, printing my favorite photos, and just reminiscing via <a href="https://timehop.com/">TimeHop</a>, but none of those systems satisfied my desire to have everything contained in one book. It stressed me out to think I was taking dozens of photos a week, and they were just sitting on my phone. I set out to find a way to organize my photos and get them all together in one album.<br />
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This led me to the website <a href="http://www.modernphotosolutions.com/">Modern Photo Solutions</a>, which introduced me to a cell phone app called <i><a href="http://beckyhiggins.com/project-life-app/">Project Life</a>,</i> a simple digital scrapbook system. This was a game changer for me because it allowed me to make my a photo book using my phone. I could pull photos from my phone gallery or Google Photos (which is what I use to backup all of my photos, including those from my "real" camera. It is another photo game changer, but I'll leave that for a different post!) Additionally, I found myself using pictures that told the story, rather than ones that would look good on Instagram. The Project Life app let me combine my photos with color and journaling cards to give my book a scrapbook feel that truly captured the event and describe what was going on if I wanted.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxBDQ59igERXRulJiCJ6J5j__muVrK4NZP3fq3U1f0pZs_M5rf49SNH_vnhV4o6iCfgKIzo_XrRa4c6rjFFE8AnDj3R1v9L3Hn8jtMW3Yy7AgsZb8t5c3ouBY33x93EMc99Aimi3M9ZIm/s1600/IMG_20170204_074904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcxBDQ59igERXRulJiCJ6J5j__muVrK4NZP3fq3U1f0pZs_M5rf49SNH_vnhV4o6iCfgKIzo_XrRa4c6rjFFE8AnDj3R1v9L3Hn8jtMW3Yy7AgsZb8t5c3ouBY33x93EMc99Aimi3M9ZIm/s640/IMG_20170204_074904.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I started using Project Life to bring my photos together into layouts that would eventually become pages for my end-of-the-year photo book. I worked on it while waiting for a doctor's appointment, standing in line at Wal-mart, or sitting on the couch watching TV. It is so easy to use - each layout took me about 3 minutes once I got used to the app. Sometimes I would make the pages for a group of photos within 24 hours of the event, and sometimes it was months afterward. Once the page was done, I exported it and saved it in a folder until I was ready to put all the layouts together into one book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEo7DVq8kP7uKoDP5JhWdIfdUtQ3fvWInX13LVyMGixMhQfJRZLO3JoFJfXcF5jMHR74fBNgypHckvLwQ1NxLFytDbNTfu5TiFfd579VRpOicSf17b8gqcE6v5R8hgJlDaVFHdUnEu1-BE/s1600/IMG_20170204_074929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEo7DVq8kP7uKoDP5JhWdIfdUtQ3fvWInX13LVyMGixMhQfJRZLO3JoFJfXcF5jMHR74fBNgypHckvLwQ1NxLFytDbNTfu5TiFfd579VRpOicSf17b8gqcE6v5R8hgJlDaVFHdUnEu1-BE/s640/IMG_20170204_074929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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When the year ended, I went back through my photos to make sure I hadn't missed anything, and I uploaded all of the layouts I had been saving to <a href="https://www.mixbook.com/">Mixbook</a> to create my 10x10 photo book. Three days later, a beautiful book with all of our memories was at my door.<br />
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All of this to say, the Project Life app is the only reason I was able to pull a photo book together this year. My memories are no longer jumbled in a plastic shoebox shoved in our guest closet. Instead they are organized, display worthy, and archived. In fact, my 2017 photo book already has a few pages made.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05869125564499394191noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-83646560622100791562015-08-24T20:44:00.001-05:002015-08-24T20:51:06.206-05:00Week-at-a-glanceFor the past month, I've been making a weekly to-do list, cleaning schedule and menu plan. I have pinned several on various <a href="https://www.pinterest.com/jennyslens/" target="_blank">Pinterest </a>boards, but I could never find one that was exactly what I wanted, so I made one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOUsbQkUPmkQJNbkuHxYhkD9xWi90Q3a3iENPkgvWWDA3AgDY2VUVHOHloDP6vJttZv6Ms6AbqeBifXQ2l4O2deNzREqoSFpEftXM4AyqAiYISg-3kWd3aHd_Ncl9YV6lf83HtPHu6Dc/s1600/week+at+a+glance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOUsbQkUPmkQJNbkuHxYhkD9xWi90Q3a3iENPkgvWWDA3AgDY2VUVHOHloDP6vJttZv6Ms6AbqeBifXQ2l4O2deNzREqoSFpEftXM4AyqAiYISg-3kWd3aHd_Ncl9YV6lf83HtPHu6Dc/s640/week+at+a+glance.jpg" width="484" /></a></div>
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I wanted a place where I could put our weekly calendar items, menu plan, and a cleaning schedule of some sort. I also wanted a to-do list that wasn't locked into certain days of the week. That's how this one was created. I print a new one every Sunday and write/type in what I need.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFaeT4j_3Qn1smZNhVn7snwJF-OeNiBoSexTnlnfkZGlTAxbHQr1dbymJItkrNU-xC62Oe2jtkJIJCgYe88by5DQVIEB6uhmIEFQWzH1uE8cOg2tKYzIw9fFmLd9kh0A2ZY2F4_Hm5GM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-08-24+at+8.43.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfFaeT4j_3Qn1smZNhVn7snwJF-OeNiBoSexTnlnfkZGlTAxbHQr1dbymJItkrNU-xC62Oe2jtkJIJCgYe88by5DQVIEB6uhmIEFQWzH1uE8cOg2tKYzIw9fFmLd9kh0A2ZY2F4_Hm5GM/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-08-24+at+8.43.55+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Menu Plan</b>. When creating the menu, I usually think about what we have in the freezer and go from there. If I need to go grocery shopping, I put that on the chore list, and plan my menu accordingly. I would say we stick to the menu about 85% of the time, which is much better than when we don't have a menu.<br />
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<b>Weekly Cleaning Schedule.</b> To start a weekly cleaning plan, I wrote down the chores I felt needed to happen weekly, and then thought about our evenings. For instance, dusting takes the longest for me, so I did put that on Monday night because it's most likely to get done. I chose to put bathrooms on Thursday since they are usually fairly messy from hurriedly getting ready all week. I've seen a lot of different weekly cleaning lists, but so far the only one I've stuck to is the one I created for myself....and even then, I would say I stick to it 70% of the time. I did my best to leave a couple of empty days, so I would have a day when I could catch up or make-up. Additionally, I change it from week to week depending on what needs to be done.<br />
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<b>Everyday Things.</b><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>I also included a section of everyday things. For me this includes Dishes, Laundry, Make Bed, Picking up the House, and Swiffering (the joys of a shedding dog and hardwood floors). I've seen some people include exercise, water intake, emails, and things along those lines in this area.<br />
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<b>Calendar.</b> This portion is fairly basic. I simply write down what we've got going on for the week. I used to keep a monthly calendar on the fridge, but my husband never looked at it. Now that we've got the week-at-a-glance on the fridge, he will at least acknowledge that we have activities throughout the week.<br />
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<b>Weekly To Do List. </b>I try hard to keep this list to a minimum. My goal is to put things on there that will get crossed off, so I stick to 5-7 things each week (1 per day). If anything needs deep cleaning and it isn't in the weekly cleaning schedule, it goes here.<br />
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The week-at-a-glance printable has provided a much needed plan for the week. I don't stick to it perfectly, but it definitely keeps me organized. I also love the feeling I get from just filling it out on Sundays. It makes me feel so put together and with it. If you want to try this layout for yourself, you can <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2uVItSpSuAzRTRzamRpOEtpTWM/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">get a blank PDF version HERE.</a><br />
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Enjoy!<br />
:jAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-90836225394869645282015-04-20T17:41:00.004-05:002015-07-12T19:56:29.362-05:00Erin & Matt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Erin and Matt are a photographer's dream. They are easy-going, fun-loving, and photogenic. I had a lot of fun taking their engagement photos back in October, and I was honored to photograph their wedding. It was a fun day full of spring thunder storms, lots of laughter and of course, dancing. </div>
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Congratulations, Matt & Erin!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-82967105020226408082014-05-11T21:54:00.004-05:002014-05-11T21:54:53.925-05:00Mother's DayI have to start this post by bragging about my own mother. She has always been my biggest supporter and no one could love me better than she does. She taught me to work hard, be kind, and most of all to depend of the Lord in all circumstances. I think the first verse of The Band Perry's "A Mother Like Mine" says it best...<blockquote class="tr_bq">
She's the sky that holds the clouds,<br />She's the lady of the house,<br />A blind believer in all I dare to be.<br />There's no safer place I've found,<br />Than the shoulder of her white night gown,<br />I've got the best and the worst of her in me.</blockquote>
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This morning I was thinking about everything a woman sacrifices in order to be a mom. As a single girl without children, many people would say I have no idea what the sacrifice for being a mom is, and they are probably right. Although I do have a good idea of exactly what a woman is giving up because I get to live the selfish life of a woman without kids. I can sleep until 10:30 on a Saturday with no one waking me up to get them their breakfast. I can buy 3 new pairs of shoes without worrying about whether or not my children will have shoes. I can go to the grocery store and just buy Lean Cuisines and cereal for a grand total of $28 instead of spending hours meal planning and budgeting to feed hungry mouths. The older I get, the more I realize how selfless a mother must be. I thought I would take a minute to go through the math of a few of the selfless things my mom did for my 2 brothers and me.</div>
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<li>A pregnancy lasts 40 weeks (and I was 2 1/2 weeks late), so mom was pregnant for over 120 weeks of her life or 2 years and 4 months.</li>
<li>The average baby goes through 5,475 diapers before becoming pottery trained (6 per day for 2 1/2 years. That means my mom changed us 16,425 times</li>
<li>It takes approximately 2 minutes and 5 seconds to change a baby, which means mom spent 34,218 minutes changing diapers or just over 570 hours. That's nearly a month of time.</li>
<li>The average mom does 330 loads of laundry per year, so over the course of 18 years, mom did at least 5,940 loads of laundry.</li>
<li>A middle income family spends approximately $241,080 to raise a child to the age of 18. This does not include college, so my mom (and dad) spent nearly three quarters of a million dollars raising our family.</li>
<li>Speaking of money, my mom chose to stay home with us, so she didn't work from the time Josh was born until I was in school. Figuring a salary of $36,000 per year for 8 years, she lost out on $288,000 just so she could be the one to take care of us.</li>
<li>They say new parents lose 2.9 hours of sleep per night during a baby's first year. This means mom missed 1,059 hours per child and 3,176 hours total. That totals to be 4 1/2 months worth of sleep.</li>
<li>On average a mom drives 1,248 miles per year taking kids to activities, so over the course of a child's life, a mom drives across America 9 times just going to kid-related functions. </li>
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I guess what I'm saying is, moms are pretty selfless. They give up their time, money, and sleep in order to keep their babies happy, safe, and healthy. So much of their sacrifice can't be put into numbers. They listen to kids music instead of their favorite radio station in the car. They allow their house to be a mess for years, so their children can have toys that are easily accessible. They make chicken nuggets for dinner, even though they don't taste that great, because their children love them. It's all an act of love, and one for which I am extremely grateful.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-31199885203913743682014-03-18T20:59:00.000-05:002015-07-12T21:10:19.140-05:00Post Cards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-21733760949115397032014-01-05T19:14:00.003-06:002015-07-12T21:14:07.053-05:00Isaiah 43:1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-14014449882896439772014-01-02T08:59:00.001-06:002014-01-02T08:59:03.614-06:0030 by 30 UpdateToday I am soaking up my last day of winter break freedom before heading back to work tomorrow. It's funny how on the first day of a break I have plans and to do lists and on the last day I just mourn the fact that I didn't get any of it done. That's not entirely true. I definitely got a few things done over the last 2 weeks, and thankfully my dear friends, <a href="http://raylenenicole.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Raylene</a> and <a href="http://thelifeisbeautifulproject.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Laina</a> helped me get a jump start on my <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2013/10/30-before-30.html" target="_blank">30 before 30 list</a>. <div>
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I got a text message from Raylene last week telling me to mark January 1st on my calendar because she and Laina had plans for me. I was a bit nervous. You never know with the 2 of them, but everything ended up fine. The day involved eggs, aprons, buttons, blindfolds, Target baskets, photos, and lots of fun. Plus I got to cross a few things off my list! Here is an update on the list.</div>
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<b>10. Go on a road trip:</b> Raylene and Laina blindfolded me and attempted to take me on a road trip, but we couldn't quite get to where we were going. Regardless we had a bit of an adventure, but I can't quite cross this one off the list.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETkOW60ExD3Iy5W0JbpUtmuMOXk-vBCEnBFXECgXtCKVDVP06VFdKNRpPGn6wggCEA7MMbGkoHjxb0tci1Ett424XtqUDrJCVZb89UEs-SQ8rgKrX61ufC7esCkik_sDaLEfAlqThoKg/w376-h668-no/20140101_140119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgETkOW60ExD3Iy5W0JbpUtmuMOXk-vBCEnBFXECgXtCKVDVP06VFdKNRpPGn6wggCEA7MMbGkoHjxb0tci1Ett424XtqUDrJCVZb89UEs-SQ8rgKrX61ufC7esCkik_sDaLEfAlqThoKg/w376-h668-no/20140101_140119.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpG6mW3Ydno/UsV8ar6eBOI/AAAAAAAApyw/44PgV72jXTQ/w376-h668-no/14+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tpG6mW3Ydno/UsV8ar6eBOI/AAAAAAAApyw/44PgV72jXTQ/w376-h668-no/14+-+1" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b>11. Go to a concert:</b> A month ago, Stephanie and I went to see Keith Urban and Little Big Town, so I'm officially calling this one complete!</div>
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<b>13. Sponsor a Child:</b> At the end of October I chose to begin sponsoring a boy named Pervez in Guatamala. He's 5 and adorable.</div>
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14. Actually do one of the crafts I have pinned on Pinterest: Raylene and Laina helped me with this one yesterday. We made button bracelets! It was super easy, but super cute. My favorite kind of craft!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVeSonOAEgoFAjtejavu0vIFwfjcs5JOTkE6cqAZgVoFHJGb5Jb1kQkSkbJvaBNCiR-A-onNEV46Eo7wTlCdWhhStSKbB-aNBqHlZlMYfvSOUm6ezIhgRYZlT8-ENtJJm2WudKc5gT5g/s1600/IMG_8301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVeSonOAEgoFAjtejavu0vIFwfjcs5JOTkE6cqAZgVoFHJGb5Jb1kQkSkbJvaBNCiR-A-onNEV46Eo7wTlCdWhhStSKbB-aNBqHlZlMYfvSOUm6ezIhgRYZlT8-ENtJJm2WudKc5gT5g/s400/IMG_8301.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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15. Learn to crack an egg with one hand: I had forgotten that this was on my list, but yesterday I learned how to do this thanks to Ray and Laina and Youtube. It really isn't that difficult, but it is kind of messy.</div>
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27. Try a new recipe: We were able to cross a bonus one off the list because we made quiche with a recipe I had never made before. It was delish! I don't have the recipe, but I bet Raylene will blog about it soon.</div>
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So now I can go back to work tomorrow feeling like I actually accomplished a few things during my 2 week break. It's a good feeling.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-56319009435307421032013-10-17T06:09:00.000-05:002014-01-02T08:59:08.211-06:0030 Before 30Today I turn 29. That means in 365 days I will be 30. (2014 isn't a leap year, is it?) So in honor of my 30th birthday, here are my 30 goals before 30. I tried this <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2011/10/28-before-28.html" target="_blank">when I turned 28,</a> and it wasn't the most successful thing, so I'm going to try again.<br />
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1. Paint my back porch<br />
2. Get new pictures in my entry way<br />
3. Memorize 10 Bible verses<br />
4. Lose 30 pounds - that number seems fitting!<br />
5. Vacation some place new<br />
6. Make my T-shirts from college and high school into a quilt<br />
7. Learn how to keep my car clean<br />
8. Start taking more photos on a daily basis<br />
9. Run a 5K<br />
10. Go on a road trip<br />
<strike>11. Go to a concert</strike> Complete! 11/8/2013<br />
12. Go without internet for 48 hours<br />
<strike>13. Sponsor a child</strike> Complete! 10/30/2013<br />
<strike>14. Actually do one of the crafts I have pinned on Pinterest</strike> Complete! 1/1/2014<br />
<strike>15. Learn to crack an egg with one hand </strike> Complete! 1/1/2014<br />
16. Choose my dissertation topic<br />
17. Learn how to roller skate<br />
18. Do 40 consecutive push-ups<br />
19. Maintain an exercise routine<br />
20. Build a snowman<br />
21. Journal daily for a month<br />
22. Get my recipes organized<br />
23. Organize my linen closet<br />
24. Go 1 month without shopping<br />
<strike>25. Complete the Daniel Fast for 21 Days</strike> Complete! 12/19/2013<br />
26. Try a new aerobic class<br />
<strike>27. Try a new recipe</strike> Complete! 1/1/2013<br />
28. Read 10 books<br />
29. Create an address book (on my phone?)<br />
30. Continue to be awesomeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-65083686776966728482013-09-09T06:11:00.000-05:002013-09-09T06:11:03.131-05:00Postcards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-24132063464211188922013-09-04T22:12:00.002-05:002013-09-04T22:12:41.618-05:00Blog Q&A<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">About <strike>82</strike> 6 months ago, my friend <a href="http://www.raylenenicole.blogspot.com/2013/03/libester-award.html" target="_blank">Raylene posted in response to a blog award she got</a>, and tagged me to post next. The idea is to post a list of questions that the next blog answers, and you nominate additional blogs to answer questions. Ray picked me, and I'm just now getting around to it. Here are her questions and my answers.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. If you had a mission statement for your blog... what would it be?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is the real reason I haven't answered these questions. I don't feel like I have a great answer for this question, and if you can't start strong, then why start at all? This blog started to chronicle my home renovation, but since then it's become more of a blog just about my life. I hope that when people come here they find genuine-ness, grace, and fun. And even though many of my posts don't directly talk about my faith or Christ, I pray that He is glorified through my writing. In my "About Me" section I said, "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">All I know is that when people look at me, I want them to see Christ. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When the talk to me, I want them to hear the Holy Spirit, and when they hang out with me, I pray they find God. Because really, that's what life is all about." And that pretty much sums it up.</span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. What is your favorite feature about yourself?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If we're talking physical, it's my red hair. Personality wise, I love how easily I laugh.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. If you could live in any decade... which would you live in and why?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">I think I would make a great pioneer woman -- not like the blogger, although I have a lot in common with her. I'm talking Little House on the Prairie style. Bonnets, long skirts, saloons. It would be good.</span></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. What are your top 5 favorite things about your spouse? If you're single... what are the top 5 qualities you are looking for in a future spouse?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If you've been around here for long, you know I'm single. I wrote a whole post about what I'm looking for in a spouse. <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-list.html" target="_blank">You can read it here</a>. Ultimately I want whatever the Lord deems is good for me. However, just for fun, here are 5 silly things that I think would be good to have:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Not afraid of mice -- I have a huge fear of mice, so it's important that he doesn't.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Good taste buds -- I like to cook, so he needs to be able to taste. Important stuff here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. The ability to understand taughing -- that's talking + laughing. It's a gift of mine. Ask me to tell you a funny story, and you'll understand what I mean in about 4 seconds -- actually chances are you won't understand me at all.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 18px;">4. Hair Appreciation - I have a lot of hair. Sometimes it ends up on bathroom floors or in drains, so a nice appreciation of my hair might alleviate any aggravation that could come from finding it everywhere. I mean everywhere.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Not Camera Shy - I take a lot of photos. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. If you could spend the day with a celebrity... who would it be and why?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hmmm, I'm not good at staying up with celebrities. I'd choose Miley Cyrus. She's gotten a lot of bad press lately. She could probably use a friend.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Favorite disney movie?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Little Mermaid: Red hair, singing, swimming, overly trusting. She's me in Disney form.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. What is your favorite hobby?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My favorite hobby is baking, but I hate cleaning the kitchen afterward.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8. If you were given the chance... what 1 piece of advice would you give yourself at age 16?</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ooh, this is a difficult one. I think I would tell myself to be as kind as possible to everyone, and take every chance to show Jesus to the people around you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">9. What is your favorite thing about your christian community?</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That we actually live life together by eating together, talking about day to day things, and just hanging out with each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10. What is your favorite quote?</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Let the things that break the heart of God, break my heart." Thomas A. Kempis</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">11. What is your biggest weakness and how do you embrace/deal with it?</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My biggest weakness is wanting to hit cars in front of me that aren't moving when the light turns green. I deal with it by remembering that my insurance would not pay for me to run over other cars. I also avoid driving a monster truck in an attempt to lessen the temptation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-46612608198535019982013-09-02T21:13:00.003-05:002013-09-02T21:19:44.353-05:00Happy Housivarsary!Four years ago today, I closed on my house. It's changed a lot since that day when I put the key in the lock for the first time and walked in to my home. The first thing Momma said was, "you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into." And she was very right. Owning a home means mortgage payments, lawn mowing, bills, cleaning, and all kinds of grown-up things, but I love my house and I am so thankful for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYe5SJsUjhBi1FZzWPpcxuagLxroPJINzrk6tS3C9cGliDA_4WvTIt_Dr-OTaw-P7fmBcDQJVO9cQxpRZEFjExX8OVaR1kXsKF8yHrjuPDyBDWioIdJpJzfFOurAfqBwpZ2EjCkAOJXl_C/s1600/+%252819+of+46%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYe5SJsUjhBi1FZzWPpcxuagLxroPJINzrk6tS3C9cGliDA_4WvTIt_Dr-OTaw-P7fmBcDQJVO9cQxpRZEFjExX8OVaR1kXsKF8yHrjuPDyBDWioIdJpJzfFOurAfqBwpZ2EjCkAOJXl_C/s400/+%252819+of+46%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I first bought the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IVXEoIluQlKkjHvF2l3q47m6yKTd13tT3fVVps49ehrRY_DwPrtbe5vCKSL_38r3aqEqtocUTwNAihlC8s25eEHheDV2A52ozJjArqF-5-KeAPdseFi8NfnMOOy8jXlhlJmDDm9TQrQ/w866-h487-no/20130831_163826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5IVXEoIluQlKkjHvF2l3q47m6yKTd13tT3fVVps49ehrRY_DwPrtbe5vCKSL_38r3aqEqtocUTwNAihlC8s25eEHheDV2A52ozJjArqF-5-KeAPdseFi8NfnMOOy8jXlhlJmDDm9TQrQ/w866-h487-no/20130831_163826.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since then we've painted it, removed bushes, and added porch furniture.</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I started looking at houses in February of 2009. Between February and August I looked at over 60 houses, put an offer on 7, and ended up with the best one. The first time I saw my house online, I called my realtor immediately and told her I wanted to see it mainly because I loved the street it was on. We went to see it the next day.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBVWPxC-XIey3oMiPtzB3i0wuFZsxZgbeQE6cTZ9nCtjbaRDz6BxnpOfNAFRMAXR_fRxEPOiNAA1SHXAD9ENQtW1Z124fWY4jEe5t9LlwnBtAa29ldL-yMTUV434299BgWqzkdilcVOfj/w866-h650-no/IMG_5133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBVWPxC-XIey3oMiPtzB3i0wuFZsxZgbeQE6cTZ9nCtjbaRDz6BxnpOfNAFRMAXR_fRxEPOiNAA1SHXAD9ENQtW1Z124fWY4jEe5t9LlwnBtAa29ldL-yMTUV434299BgWqzkdilcVOfj/w866-h650-no/IMG_5133.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kitchen with original stove and scallops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeftfnnkPLbccMrFQpScjxZecTBWs0N9K_jZVpS5_zm8ZciY4Hh93CveB4EpWJyQcV3LjQfc3WETV_oPfFseiJ0d3GzuZVXaylwESx101dKOG2FqctW019MQx21tVijcC5H3DODAsq2wB/s1600/Bryant-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeftfnnkPLbccMrFQpScjxZecTBWs0N9K_jZVpS5_zm8ZciY4Hh93CveB4EpWJyQcV3LjQfc3WETV_oPfFseiJ0d3GzuZVXaylwESx101dKOG2FqctW019MQx21tVijcC5H3DODAsq2wB/s400/Bryant-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kitchen remodel might be my favorite -- all for $1200!!</td></tr>
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When I first walked in, I was overwhelmed with the amount of stuff in it. The house was well loved, but was in desperate need of updating. Everything in the house was still original from 1951 from the stove to the wallpaper. The family that built the house had lived there for nearly 60 years without changing much. I mentally began painting the walls, relaying the floors, and changing the kitchen. I knew it could be adorable.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gDJzWnoBwPW6FXXE3DasgaX1aH1dghEl1ZzZDSLwsKBEfnXUIp10tR2tnhLSSpWdPIhP8CC1cqa5KJI91r3Zh91nv_FVbrvYkYCsj2rMaU6UgqZ9W_XAqhc3fZ_V0nHMBz2N4mX9-aRy/w866-h650-no/IMG_5157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0gDJzWnoBwPW6FXXE3DasgaX1aH1dghEl1ZzZDSLwsKBEfnXUIp10tR2tnhLSSpWdPIhP8CC1cqa5KJI91r3Zh91nv_FVbrvYkYCsj2rMaU6UgqZ9W_XAqhc3fZ_V0nHMBz2N4mX9-aRy/w866-h650-no/IMG_5157.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bedroom before - carpet and old drapes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZ6GBAfYsBmIaO-zJYSRE3LXiYYdtrMV2WkksRecdS9O8jRaHf0fUyX16DS42kkDuj6VZJWGHgvPypaA9fKfZKlgHAxsNL4BVcPdsk9iXQ5HGAt1gELK-i7ethQgLkKs6t0VN1U30DPy9/w866-h578-no/20100515-20100515-IMG_0102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZ6GBAfYsBmIaO-zJYSRE3LXiYYdtrMV2WkksRecdS9O8jRaHf0fUyX16DS42kkDuj6VZJWGHgvPypaA9fKfZKlgHAxsNL4BVcPdsk9iXQ5HGAt1gELK-i7ethQgLkKs6t0VN1U30DPy9/w866-h578-no/20100515-20100515-IMG_0102.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now -- although I need to get a better photo of it during the day. It's not as dark as it seems.</td></tr>
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The next night I took my mom and grandma to see the house with me. We walked through talking about how big the rooms were, what walls could be removed in the kitchen, and how to update the bathrooms. As we were leaving, my realtor called the selling agent to ask a question. It turned out to be an owner/agent meaning that the selling agent was also the owner of the home. In this case, she was the daughter-in-law of the woman who had lived there. My grandmother recognized the name as a family who had adopted a baby from the ministry my grandpa had been part of for years. Grandma told my realtor to ask the agent if she remembered them, and the agent did.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonkv7-X3Xd_NQL_k5KY4KGvdcoEFlrGgu2a1C7WwkG3yeCgum3dPemnlt5JUaPFZIoui-pbz1e5PgJYfUXLsi5ZvE5Kj1dNGXDSWRIvymUD3d7Z79d_BMXF2vEihfbgW4Gi2WufrS4dqH/w866-h650-no/IMG_5172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonkv7-X3Xd_NQL_k5KY4KGvdcoEFlrGgu2a1C7WwkG3yeCgum3dPemnlt5JUaPFZIoui-pbz1e5PgJYfUXLsi5ZvE5Kj1dNGXDSWRIvymUD3d7Z79d_BMXF2vEihfbgW4Gi2WufrS4dqH/w866-h650-no/IMG_5172.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mudroom before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtxE81aX3yrGa2FAuFBORctmve-ZoD9JheBMv_-3AIYgLJxApl6dmT07yCy9ZrWFwzSaSXQl1IiD4vpUQPI1UZw5v6Vfz_Hejbh51zKNR4V7GzokCG4QOPE57EOp661U8Z8HnYUZF-Rq5/s640/20101228-_MG_0286-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtxE81aX3yrGa2FAuFBORctmve-ZoD9JheBMv_-3AIYgLJxApl6dmT07yCy9ZrWFwzSaSXQl1IiD4vpUQPI1UZw5v6Vfz_Hejbh51zKNR4V7GzokCG4QOPE57EOp661U8Z8HnYUZF-Rq5/s400/20101228-_MG_0286-10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is probably the most drastic change. I love the stripes!</td></tr>
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I decided that evening to put an offer on the house for $12,000 below the asking price. The next day, my realtor called and said she talked with the family selling the home, and they had received an offer from a contractor for $10,000 over the asking price. This had happened to me multiple times during the house-hunting process, so I was prepared to let go of this house and keep searching.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1T7FMQhJkm0mM1E60274q4ceEfwKmci9r5lXs2Ob64T_tOhuEYIrpgC0GQkGNFHQG4bpVU4j9h0Owa683xcNOI-bKmugb91EBHLHfYrnbMl21eM7hkrnfR6fI9hakEWOA7SqI-_yCOCo/s640/25815_675472944984_34302530_39004852_5583393_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1T7FMQhJkm0mM1E60274q4ceEfwKmci9r5lXs2Ob64T_tOhuEYIrpgC0GQkGNFHQG4bpVU4j9h0Owa683xcNOI-bKmugb91EBHLHfYrnbMl21eM7hkrnfR6fI9hakEWOA7SqI-_yCOCo/s400/25815_675472944984_34302530_39004852_5583393_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My living room before - I loved the built in bookshelf, but it didn't get to stay.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2RkgL-v8_vFrxNye3-CempVgKboUiu5PD53lvpl1V_CaJ3qkv-T8G49-y8ipLFZw3Ol6dtwwp5WkizjqNW_dl8ktDT83-auSPW7rbLVCgQbr7iIi01zKFWCdJRDd6AUw_XH6krV_34/w866-h487-no/20130707_212947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjR2RkgL-v8_vFrxNye3-CempVgKboUiu5PD53lvpl1V_CaJ3qkv-T8G49-y8ipLFZw3Ol6dtwwp5WkizjqNW_dl8ktDT83-auSPW7rbLVCgQbr7iIi01zKFWCdJRDd6AUw_XH6krV_34/w866-h487-no/20130707_212947.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New floors, lots of paint, and all new insulation.</td></tr>
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This time ended up different though. The family selling the house wanted me to have it after learning that the man who placed their daughter into their family was my grandpa. They said if I could go $4,000 under the asking price, it would be mine. I immediately agreed and started dreaming up ways to decorate and remodel my new home. The sellers gave up $14,000 so that I could have this home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXUXhiEFPmjVTQ2Hd6hGqPgt6eOo84zT-Z7d2Kw02iIUd761mUWN7kvWn-ArPqiM5pZeznNbgv9_KiSpTMrN__hnqfEheQU1sh5_JZxVYfT0KrLNFWpDuy9iyqwoIknGLYD-N1t4t6cpx/s640/24955_671441843344_34302530_38858802_764735_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIXUXhiEFPmjVTQ2Hd6hGqPgt6eOo84zT-Z7d2Kw02iIUd761mUWN7kvWn-ArPqiM5pZeznNbgv9_KiSpTMrN__hnqfEheQU1sh5_JZxVYfT0KrLNFWpDuy9iyqwoIknGLYD-N1t4t6cpx/s400/24955_671441843344_34302530_38858802_764735_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The office before - that green chair came with the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CIOlaqfvRPbYuFDNhCajlqcFl9FOQ8HsCL5z3NcMGRxG547Nar43nRlIvAf4EnDGUS_ZA0YJPF96qNP89e4RTyLrGbv_wXgc3vMFc_wZJqZeexN8QOTwDvCcad-KkF9tCr5_7lKiiHjc/s640/24955_671448689624_34302530_38858934_1684990_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7CIOlaqfvRPbYuFDNhCajlqcFl9FOQ8HsCL5z3NcMGRxG547Nar43nRlIvAf4EnDGUS_ZA0YJPF96qNP89e4RTyLrGbv_wXgc3vMFc_wZJqZeexN8QOTwDvCcad-KkF9tCr5_7lKiiHjc/s400/24955_671448689624_34302530_38858934_1684990_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That desk is one of my favorite garage sale finds ever!</td></tr>
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A month later I was signing papers, getting keys, and becoming the second owner of my house. It's crazy to think that in 62 years, only 2 people have owned 1 home. God's hand is so evident in all of it. I've fed dozens of people within these walls, hosted multiple Bible studies, housed a few youth students, missionaries, and friends who just needed a place to stay. My brother and sister-in-law lived here for 3 weeks, and my other brother lived here for nearly a year. Just about every Wednesday my entire family gathers here for family dinner while my nephews ring the bell on top of the house and build forts in the living room. It is still well loved and I am so thankful for it.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
P.S. Today is also my parent's wedding anniversary. 35 years. They are an incredible inspiration of love and faithfulness. God has blessed me beyond measure with the 2 of them.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7fGKWql4RAlx5Bs73X5yXHcpUhohTS_LGXARbp-dzMI82F1IaU_djlhEOIY0nkT4I5KNivgfsMDYa3jlrbkx-ISG4IRGBRM6cNlWHlmEc8Xip_cT58qHxU9zeN6ZLf1Y0_LmQbd_fOc/s1600/39929_702601289564_642670_n+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7fGKWql4RAlx5Bs73X5yXHcpUhohTS_LGXARbp-dzMI82F1IaU_djlhEOIY0nkT4I5KNivgfsMDYa3jlrbkx-ISG4IRGBRM6cNlWHlmEc8Xip_cT58qHxU9zeN6ZLf1Y0_LmQbd_fOc/s400/39929_702601289564_642670_n+(1).jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is their engagement photo from 1978.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vofkZqjC9nCO3rz5VSqqC70aakUw0m-op76Vv-dAYBE4SFJsv27WB7ndsGvYsu2mrOH6mQ5y8bvJ3MzKEOX86fgHApYwEkNoPeEcL4opVzKO_-_IQMXXndhpT1NPGbHHncL1cFI6o6Q/s1600/1010953_10201475189019137_1664514075_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2vofkZqjC9nCO3rz5VSqqC70aakUw0m-op76Vv-dAYBE4SFJsv27WB7ndsGvYsu2mrOH6mQ5y8bvJ3MzKEOX86fgHApYwEkNoPeEcL4opVzKO_-_IQMXXndhpT1NPGbHHncL1cFI6o6Q/s400/1010953_10201475189019137_1664514075_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is what they look like now. :)</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-4914493068367263392013-08-13T20:56:00.000-05:002013-08-14T21:01:39.941-05:00Cherish's ShowerLast weekend I had the honor of hosting a bridal shower for my dear friend Cherish. She's getting ready to marry Isaac, and they have an adorable story. If you want to read the whole thing,<a href="http://cherishandisaac.com/" target="_blank"> click here</a>, but I'll give you my side of the story.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwWEvMGzGj7yV8jYSXA78bFdYLvXSRap4buqmPf7zrC2C2kRPrfXSI-Kfk6is2Iem51kND5jMSGd3WtDjJNCZZCx94MYW0LWc3JzhUy2r_DEUT2itiRNlQTygigeGElNG9tIdsJDmPnw/s1600/20130810-_MG_6022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwWEvMGzGj7yV8jYSXA78bFdYLvXSRap4buqmPf7zrC2C2kRPrfXSI-Kfk6is2Iem51kND5jMSGd3WtDjJNCZZCx94MYW0LWc3JzhUy2r_DEUT2itiRNlQTygigeGElNG9tIdsJDmPnw/s640/20130810-_MG_6022.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nail Polish Favors</td></tr>
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I met Cherish through her brother, Bryce. My friend Melanie and I took guitar lessons from him a few years ago, and I mentioned that I needed a second shooter for a wedding I had coming up. He said his sister was into photography, so I met her for coffee, and we ended up shooting dozens of weddings together.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQU7Ps7uatLnEocIMUl6hXcQE_7goP_tF9m3DNGCE6Vi0Z8SbUT1wLNGrX9funQKSUmbUpKUaqyN0fjHIAVwGjkVvgGbgg45orliR7PU-QbVDbg_VWNEmQIIAPydN9So3es8PB4hYpVU/s1600/20130810-IMG_6032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQU7Ps7uatLnEocIMUl6hXcQE_7goP_tF9m3DNGCE6Vi0Z8SbUT1wLNGrX9funQKSUmbUpKUaqyN0fjHIAVwGjkVvgGbgg45orliR7PU-QbVDbg_VWNEmQIIAPydN9So3es8PB4hYpVU/s640/20130810-IMG_6032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I actually got to use my real silver! I love occasions when I get to pull out my silver. It makes me feel civilized.</td></tr>
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Our second summer of shooting weddings, a boy named Isaac started to tag along. I got to know him because we spent a lot of time driving to many weddings. We would sing, dance, and talk the time away. He was a good guy through and through, and I must say that I always had a feeling this day would come. ;)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysKNPGGVPkFTsBXXvLs2IL-tApmS8Uaav9nzwV7stajzaAMOWkszaiMCpipT_7WfH_CDiBtxw-lrMFjAlT0u_70gJVkow9xMxKYqhZCTPQbI6aBg-sTYbPT4X_bKTKhECLeziG1J1STA/s1600/20130810-IMG_6034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiysKNPGGVPkFTsBXXvLs2IL-tApmS8Uaav9nzwV7stajzaAMOWkszaiMCpipT_7WfH_CDiBtxw-lrMFjAlT0u_70gJVkow9xMxKYqhZCTPQbI6aBg-sTYbPT4X_bKTKhECLeziG1J1STA/s640/20130810-IMG_6034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild flowers, photography, and vintage - it pretty much sums up Cherish.</td></tr>
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Cherish and Isaac became very close friends over the course of the year, and then through a series of God-timed events they were apart for a summer. That same summer Cherish, Katie Jo, Mary Margaret, Ben and I went to Colorado on an epic road trip. It just so happened that Isaac was in Colorado too. A few weeks later they just so happened to end up in Texas together. And that was the beginning of Cherish+Isaac.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qmrfJ6I-YNbBfm2lELKguQnJAAwlMQGmiUvhk9l-_fUF_SNMArObE8NdMNs70k2gzRKX9Ee50JcBZDZukTVXXziOT0LPmCYcc4PGotROkfkljTS0pTsKys90etalO-3RQSxkXGQqfvc/s1600/20130810-IMG_6039.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4qmrfJ6I-YNbBfm2lELKguQnJAAwlMQGmiUvhk9l-_fUF_SNMArObE8NdMNs70k2gzRKX9Ee50JcBZDZukTVXXziOT0LPmCYcc4PGotROkfkljTS0pTsKys90etalO-3RQSxkXGQqfvc/s640/20130810-IMG_6039.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a new lamp! caused me to paint a wall blue, but that's another post.</td></tr>
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The weekend after returning from Texas, Cherish and I had a wedding to shoot. All throughout the day I kept getting little snippets of information about what had happened. That day, Isaac talked to Cherish's dad about the relationship and his plans for their future. Cherish was literally glowing and she filled me in on the details. I'll never forget it.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfMYK5xPGGCZxDhvlgLchDx8jpFZuE8TBajSxHhizxZIJM2kbbYJsg77mj7c-4HtJOAzE90pp6hCP3zpB3_Dy5jLOLcDIRL2iw1fg0ItVjoJbWOYZLs6AsK7eVoFXjr1X2_tZunuPYFs/s1600/20130810-IMG_6046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPfMYK5xPGGCZxDhvlgLchDx8jpFZuE8TBajSxHhizxZIJM2kbbYJsg77mj7c-4HtJOAzE90pp6hCP3zpB3_Dy5jLOLcDIRL2iw1fg0ItVjoJbWOYZLs6AsK7eVoFXjr1X2_tZunuPYFs/s640/20130810-IMG_6046.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's Corrie. She's the master mind behind the shower.</td></tr>
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One of my favorite things about that day was talking to Cherish about what she should call Isaac to others. She wasn't a huge fan of the term boyfriend, so I had plenty of ideas for her. I really wish I had written them down because all I can remember about the conversation now is that we were laughing hysterically on the way home.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jXK7Ddcbp57s4YygLnEtDbc3BluF7K4iOuXf2vESeklN2QExseDsQA4NTPNaDtljrw4b85J_J-LkY5nNdstRQVCnxQmxcre9UxYeKpDmuPmJiaAtfSVBQCj-uesfiq8KrJlcRILlquA/s1600/20130810-IMG_6080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4jXK7Ddcbp57s4YygLnEtDbc3BluF7K4iOuXf2vESeklN2QExseDsQA4NTPNaDtljrw4b85J_J-LkY5nNdstRQVCnxQmxcre9UxYeKpDmuPmJiaAtfSVBQCj-uesfiq8KrJlcRILlquA/s400/20130810-IMG_6080.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LocBJAdWJYA938-k9xKGrOEOUDr0uALVWHxpVfwm4PljCBKRaJ4u5nJPz3UZFGWBA_9fUWsvnSur99GUu0nzw-xH3baXbIpo5phIzFbXUmOw6P1bqoJ4bAQYOjbdDKabK1v5BXzybvk/s1600/20130810-IMG_6089.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LocBJAdWJYA938-k9xKGrOEOUDr0uALVWHxpVfwm4PljCBKRaJ4u5nJPz3UZFGWBA_9fUWsvnSur99GUu0nzw-xH3baXbIpo5phIzFbXUmOw6P1bqoJ4bAQYOjbdDKabK1v5BXzybvk/s400/20130810-IMG_6089.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening gifts!</td></tr>
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When Cherish called to tell me she was engaged, I was ecstatic. Like I said, I always had a feeling that this day would come. And I can't wait for the actual day when she gets to become a Mrs. I promise you, Internet, she is going to be a radiant bride. Just wait and see.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTgHqIe5i0Qcr4Is0uIWuFzW9syzQrB7NCzZRcVhn4_tyUzOTzouWxA5uQsdYP2mf6e73vhMZHiZrfzjxvgAO9BT2C0ZBnKbhpbyOkUimEcuB2fxmhGMcED9Bm8RB1cmoP7TrcBQpAQQ/s1600/20130810-IMG_6091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTgHqIe5i0Qcr4Is0uIWuFzW9syzQrB7NCzZRcVhn4_tyUzOTzouWxA5uQsdYP2mf6e73vhMZHiZrfzjxvgAO9BT2C0ZBnKbhpbyOkUimEcuB2fxmhGMcED9Bm8RB1cmoP7TrcBQpAQQ/s640/20130810-IMG_6091.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scrapbook Cherish made Isaac</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Please note: I did not plan the shower. That was done by 3 of Cherish's close friends: Corrie, Katie Jo, and Katie. All adorable girls full of life and fun. They ironed out all the details, brought all kinds of yummy food, and did a lovely job of throwing Cherish's first shower. All I had to do is get my house clean and steal some cake plates from gma.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xmn39cRV7WzQYquzEp0PLw_l302G1iOfQpfczR6uw2VPn4x-qH1S6v4HX_fyetnYPXkJFlq5TI5vLEiRynuvozbbTICtwOk_TD9L6_HSasWFrMarU0fXTmT0fYOph1UXz965X2Hjreo/s1600/20130810-IMG_6105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Xmn39cRV7WzQYquzEp0PLw_l302G1iOfQpfczR6uw2VPn4x-qH1S6v4HX_fyetnYPXkJFlq5TI5vLEiRynuvozbbTICtwOk_TD9L6_HSasWFrMarU0fXTmT0fYOph1UXz965X2Hjreo/s640/20130810-IMG_6105.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone gathered around to celebrate</td></tr>
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I could write for days about how much I love this girl. She has so much joy and love. Happiness just radiates from her in her easy laugh and bright eyes. She loves the Lord and people so much, and I am so grateful that I have gotten to witness this relationship almost from day one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_M8zINf79yjgBovh6BRErK-AKgA6Mr9ThYYl7N226VcVR2p8GuQDgygHTxZwTQsyMLQwAA9ui-WEUOCeyLH5SCd9Kx6XhkzGTEVzgqn-MomLSSNkCIn5sUG5Ycfx7pLnPqgE_L3VQEs/s1600/20130810-IMG_6126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_M8zINf79yjgBovh6BRErK-AKgA6Mr9ThYYl7N226VcVR2p8GuQDgygHTxZwTQsyMLQwAA9ui-WEUOCeyLH5SCd9Kx6XhkzGTEVzgqn-MomLSSNkCIn5sUG5Ycfx7pLnPqgE_L3VQEs/s640/20130810-IMG_6126.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkh1oXxyzd61iKEDTGvcmQ0EFnpu2aLwoxYLV_2_p5VwgcnfqTrAlZrU2uytuQ6WtqgCOt7_R4x3BOlQKSJ_x4OJ8Oc8KrZwu4YfRphh3uoJS8VpSDlgUz8VNkbh57Qp13HuGQ2fbEUc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-08-14+at+8.28.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkh1oXxyzd61iKEDTGvcmQ0EFnpu2aLwoxYLV_2_p5VwgcnfqTrAlZrU2uytuQ6WtqgCOt7_R4x3BOlQKSJ_x4OJ8Oc8KrZwu4YfRphh3uoJS8VpSDlgUz8VNkbh57Qp13HuGQ2fbEUc/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-08-14+at+8.28.02+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherish and her girls</td></tr>
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It was such a joy to host her shower, and I can't wait to share photos from her wedding day with you all!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-37439351268121769242013-08-11T21:40:00.002-05:002013-08-11T21:40:58.424-05:00Psalm 34:3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLcC6TykegY/UghKj_3xu2I/AAAAAAAAjtM/0cSBkuLVbj8/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dLcC6TykegY/UghKj_3xu2I/AAAAAAAAjtM/0cSBkuLVbj8/s640/13+-+1" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-39842412278069879382013-08-08T23:27:00.002-05:002013-08-08T23:27:45.280-05:00Happy Birthday, Momma!Today is Momma's birthday, as I'm sure you can tell by the blog title. In honor of her birthday, here are some limericks about mom.....<br />
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There once was a lady named Verna<br />
Her name only rhymes with Merna<br />
Which isn't a real word<br />
She likes to call me Bird<br />
There's still nothing that rhymes with Verna<br />
<br />
I have this lady who's my Momma<br />
She didn't vote for Obama<br />
Her middle name is Dean<br />
On Fridays she wears Jeans<br />
Her life doesn't have much drama<br />
<br />
Today is my mom's day of birth<br />
She's the best momma on earth<br />
She raised two boys<br />
And a girl with poise<br />
Never underestimate her worth<br />
<br />
My momma can be kind of crazy<br />
She taught me never to be lazy<br />
She has all kinds of advice<br />
She raised me to be nice<br />
I'm not sure how she feels about daisies<br />
<br />
She seriously is a great mom<br />
I'm glad she didn't name anyone Tom<br />
I'm thankful to have her<br />
A rhyming word is fur<br />
She has never visited Guam<br />
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Okay, the last one was a bit weak, so I'm calling it quits. Happy Birthday, Momma! I love you.<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-82660682430299098742013-06-19T01:30:00.000-05:002013-06-19T16:03:13.637-05:00What I Wore WednesdayDo any of you have trouble switching seasons in regards to your wardrobe? What I mean is, do you struggle remembering what to wear in the summer after a long winter of tights, boots, and scarfs? I tend to forget what I wore last year, so I have to make up all new outfits. It takes about 3 weeks of warm (or cool) weather before I start getting into the swing of things. Before I realize that I can wear those shoes with that dress or that I can make that a "summer sweater" by wearing it with shorts. Does anyone know what I'm talking about? There is a good chance that it is just me.<br />
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Luckily, I'm starting to get into the swing of summer. That means my legs are shaved regularly enough that I don't have to cover them with a maxi dress, and my toenails are perfectly polished, so I don't have to cover them with ballet flats. Here's what I've been wearing lately....</div>
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One of these days, I'm going to take pictures of my outfits with a real camera in my full length mirror, but for now, this is what you get.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AAAfXX-GWAg/UcEwKUOp9dI/AAAAAAAAg0Y/uVh0S0KFrpw/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AAAfXX-GWAg/UcEwKUOp9dI/AAAAAAAAg0Y/uVh0S0KFrpw/s640/13+-+1" width="360" /></a></div>
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Sweater: Old Navy ($9.99 Clearance!)</div>
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Tank Top - ????</div>
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Scarf - TJ Maxx</div>
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Shorts - Maurices</div>
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Shoes - Sperrys</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDEUfeDT5tz_kRTEBvA2PeLhgkHPtnvUoyCRAB5PsK6o6gg7yqNkWKnJOOct6dttVAznS3qmLn3n1Eec8d1fvUHiOYPhxnEnKglxUUzZvL99gj2NuQnEHduJpX6o_XH1CV-r3O7Nm_7A/s1600/20130605_065637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDEUfeDT5tz_kRTEBvA2PeLhgkHPtnvUoyCRAB5PsK6o6gg7yqNkWKnJOOct6dttVAznS3qmLn3n1Eec8d1fvUHiOYPhxnEnKglxUUzZvL99gj2NuQnEHduJpX6o_XH1CV-r3O7Nm_7A/s640/20130605_065637.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was my first day of classes. I wore MU colors even though I'm getting my doctorate from KU. I was being passive agressive.</div>
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Dress: TJ Maxx</div>
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Cardigan: Lane Bryant</div>
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Purse: Kate Spade</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcxUXTyKtMkwM18wHdgAOWShjufdQWdteUlzn6xXLMb_QzpquY2fo0PiJV3x7gSP5cu5OKFNUn8Qaopg3uhDDKZcBBuzK93xfYnchC-UCJYKBfr1gInAjzEVCChvSZqRPD4YhuuXAVgc/s1600/20130604_075424.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHcxUXTyKtMkwM18wHdgAOWShjufdQWdteUlzn6xXLMb_QzpquY2fo0PiJV3x7gSP5cu5OKFNUn8Qaopg3uhDDKZcBBuzK93xfYnchC-UCJYKBfr1gInAjzEVCChvSZqRPD4YhuuXAVgc/s640/20130604_075424.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Shirt: Lane Bryant</div>
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Sweater Thing: Old Navy</div>
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Pants: Half of Half ($2!!!)</div>
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Purse: Garage Sale</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbozlmDoibCNdfq0HA-j1JupJzzlo_U3EDUzRfnHeSp15o1fkpmqY_BSjnkTjMpu_sP287exe4gN9S-d53Z3aGHMb9ipmHgLbQ5XqWI9TJrxldAusnPX8FHShjUvD13U1Sc_BX38HXyTo/s1600/20130602_092449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbozlmDoibCNdfq0HA-j1JupJzzlo_U3EDUzRfnHeSp15o1fkpmqY_BSjnkTjMpu_sP287exe4gN9S-d53Z3aGHMb9ipmHgLbQ5XqWI9TJrxldAusnPX8FHShjUvD13U1Sc_BX38HXyTo/s640/20130602_092449.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love maxi dresses! Love them.</div>
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Dress: New York and Company</div>
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Sweater: Old Navy (I bought it in high school!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVUbfNXlosrAKlf-XeAL1mSSGop8hN8inb7HyN0Qm_6z0X1bS8jn7brMvQjm__KzQ8w8COrGYX0vAVG9705FbmqmF4THYi-lsBYG-kHuN2wmTto1nRcF7ZntvR6XeKZs-BNbMCNd8zso/w468-h624-no/20130601_144712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVUbfNXlosrAKlf-XeAL1mSSGop8hN8inb7HyN0Qm_6z0X1bS8jn7brMvQjm__KzQ8w8COrGYX0vAVG9705FbmqmF4THYi-lsBYG-kHuN2wmTto1nRcF7ZntvR6XeKZs-BNbMCNd8zso/w468-h624-no/20130601_144712.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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I wore this to shoot a wedding a couple of weeks ago.</div>
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Dress: Half of Half</div>
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Boots: Garage Sale</div>
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Belt: Cato</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichHRU95C0FAcMCGAijVOEbPXnUnRm16-7D7BT2rZ6FQ5eqG2Gs3KQ20OXUIJ5CLamzo4bVZCSjNLQN7cRF4YCJSedVETwBuZrtKbkmPnXOU9vBOnRNlXQ4ad4w9a3DDwRPFl1AwHlhbs/w468-h624-no/20130312_101033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEichHRU95C0FAcMCGAijVOEbPXnUnRm16-7D7BT2rZ6FQ5eqG2Gs3KQ20OXUIJ5CLamzo4bVZCSjNLQN7cRF4YCJSedVETwBuZrtKbkmPnXOU9vBOnRNlXQ4ad4w9a3DDwRPFl1AwHlhbs/w468-h624-no/20130312_101033.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
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This dress was never actually worn. It was one of those moments when I put something on in the dressing room, and thought it was ADORABLE, then got home and realized I looked like a bridesmaid from 1988. It was awful. I literally laughed at myself in the mirror. It was terrible and went straight back to TJ Maxx.</div>
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So I'm back in summer mode, and I love having a tan and painted toenails and no make-up. Do you guys tend to wear a lot less make-up in the summer, or is that just me? Maybe it's a teacher thing. I feel like I'm asking a lot of questions in this post, so I'm going to go ahead and end it here.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog" target="_blank">This post is linked up to The Pleated Poppy: What I Wore Wednesday {wiww}</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-85824672427258482582013-06-04T22:27:00.002-05:002013-09-04T22:26:09.392-05:00Let's talk about being scared.11 days ago I decided to send an email inquiry about a doctorate program.<br />
A few hours later I received a reply stating that I could apply for a cohort beginning this summer.<br />
3 days later I finished gathering up transcripts, references, and writing samples.<br />
4 days ago I got a call stating that I had made it through the preliminary round.<br />
Yesterday I got an e-mail saying that I had been accepted into the program.<br />
Tomorrow I begin classes.<br />
I was told this was the fastest anyone had ever been admitted and enrolled.<br />
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I've been wanting to get my doctorate since I graduated from my master's program, but like I mentioned in <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-part-of-singleness-no-one-tells-you.html" target="_blank">THIS POST</a>, I have a hard time with big decisions at this stage in life. Then one day, I was talking to someone at work about getting my doctorate, so I decided to look up the program, and suddenly doors were flying open and I was on the fast track to grad school. I firmly believe that the Lord has had a big hand in this. Usually it takes weeks to apply, get accepted, and enrolled, so this is definitely out of the ordinary.<br />
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Here's the thing though, Internet. I'm a little scared. I told my friend that it was one of the first times in life when I really felt like I could fail at something. This isn't just Geography 101 or reflections over chapter 2. This is a dissertation and case studies and talking to people in higher places than I'm used to. I don't know what to expect, and that scares me. Everyone around me keeps telling me that I'll do great. I want to believe them, but sometimes the little voices inside are a bit louder.<br />
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I know I'm not alone in these feelings. It's that moment before trying anything new whether it be walking into a new church, getting a new job, or even hanging out with a new group of friends that brings a whole slew of emotions - excitement and fear mixed with hope and worries. We have all been there.<br />
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I'm reminded of 1 Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you." A lot of times when I read this verse, I focus on the first part, "Cast all your anxieties on Him." And I tend to I ignore the second part of the verse, "because He cares for you." I forget that He cares. He cares about my anxiety. It matters to Him. I matter to Him. I'm not casting my cares into the great abyss. I'm casting them to someone who has my best interest at heart. He catches what I cast off and is more than able to take care of it. I cast my anxieties BECAUSE He cares for me. If He didn't care, I wouldn't be placing my fear in his hands. I wouldn't be able to trust Him.<br />
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So even though I'm scared about this whole doctorate thing and even though I have no clue where this is going to lead, I rest assured that the Lord cares for me and is taking care of my anxiety.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-70145470212116112992013-04-30T21:22:00.000-05:002013-09-04T22:28:03.405-05:00The iPhone ChroniclesI am the kind of person who likes change. I love the 4 seasons. I love that education brings a whole new batch of students every year. I love re-arranging my office. I love the excitement that comes with change. Last week, I took on a new change with my phone.<br />
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I've had a Samsung Galaxy SII for a year and a half. For some people that doesn't seem like a long time, but I usually get a new phone yearly (part of my contract), so it seemed like an eternity. I honestly loved my old phone, but the battery life had gotten out of control and it had obviously been dropped once or twice (or 12 times). It was time for a new one.</div>
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Most of my friends are iPhone users, so I decided to take the plunge. Even though Consumer Reports ranked it #3 of the Sprint Smart Phones....and I don't usually go against Consumer Reports. Last Friday night I got an iPhone 5, and my feelings are decidedly mixed. I am trying really hard to be open minded. There are a lot of things that are simply habits that need to be changed, but there are a lot of things that I'm flat out missing.</div>
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Let's talk about the good....</div>
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1. iMessage - I like the idea of group messaging, although I hate that it is locked down to other people with iPhones. Seems a little Monopolizy to me. (Yep, that's a word!)</div>
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2. Overall Design - I love how sleek it looks and feels. It feels classy. It also makes me feel like I'm part of an elite club of iPhone users. </div>
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3. Apps - There are a couple of apps that I can get on iPhone that I don't have on Droid. So far the only one I care about is the Chipotle app.</div>
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Let's talk about what is tripping me up....</div>
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1. Ringtones - Customizing ring tones and alerts is a pain. On my droid, I could download a sound that I liked (such as the sound of a whistle) and it asked if I wanted to set it as an alert. It took a minute if that. On the iPhone, I either have to go through an app, use my computer, or something I haven't figured out yet.</div>
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2. Keyboard - I used Swype on my old phone. Granted, it caused some auto-correct issues, but that was my fault. And once I changed the settings, I got much better about not sending ridiculous texts. Additionally, I didn't have to switch between the letter screen and the number screen. That has been highly annoying. I used to just hold down the Q key for a second to get a 1. Or I'd hold down the N key to get a comma. I hardly ever switched between keyboards.</div>
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3. The Back Button - This is hands down the hardest thing to give up. If I was flipping between apps, I could just hit the back button to go between. If I needed to get to an app that I was in multiple apps ago, I could double hit the home button to get to my active apps just like on the iPhone. However, the back button allowed me to toggle between the app I was previously in. Additionally, inside of apps, the back button worked to get me to the previous screen. On an iPhone it is up to the app designer where the back button goes. Sometimes it's the top, sometimes it's the bottom, sometimes there isn't one.</div>
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4. Exiting Apps - On my Droid, I could hit "Exit All" to get out of all active apps. On the iPhone, I have to go into the active app drawer, hold down one app so they start wiggling, then exit each app individually. It's time consuming.</div>
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5. Additional Storage - I always added an SD card to my phone, so I could have unlimited storage. My last phone had 64 gigs. I hate being locked into 16 gigs. I love listening to podcasts while I work out. You'd be amazed at how much storage that takes, so it's nice to have options to expand my storage. Not a huge deal, but annoying.</div>
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6. Multiple Functions at Once - My iPhone definitely can run multiple apps at once, but sometimes I'm downloading something, and it stops because I open a new app. I don't feel like it's true multi-tasking. I could be wrong here, but I feel like when I have a ton of apps running (like streaming music, checking Facebook, and uploading a photo to Instagram) it gets bogged down. </div>
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7. Settings - My Droid had a menu button as well, so inside an app, I could just hit it and go to the menu. On the iPhone, I have to go into settings, and drill down into the individual apps. Once again, time consuming and annoying.</div>
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8. The Headphone Jack - Why does the iPhone put the headphone jack on the bottom? When I'm at the gym, I like to set my phone in front of me in case I need to check Twitter, but with the headphone jack on the bottom, I can't.</div>
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9. Screen Size - This one isn't a huge deal, but when surfing the web, I can definitely tell a difference. The iPhone screen is small, and not ideal for the ratio of a lot of web pages. I am not a fan of the huge screens of some Droids, but it is nice to be able to zoom in and see some images really big.</div>
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10. Apps Talking to Each Other - I'm sure there is a way to do this on the iPhone, but I haven't figured it out. If I want to send a photo to Instagram, I have to go into the Instagram app on my iPhone. On my Droid, I simply tap share the photo, and every possible app that can share a photo pops up. </div>
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Like I said, I really am trying to be open minded. There are just little things that are annoying me so much! So iPhone users, help me out. Why should I continue to give your device a chance? What exactly do you love about your phone? And Droid users, remind me of the annoying things. I know it's not a perfect phone. I'm trying to be fair and balanced here. Help me out, Internet!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-41932853063988917702013-04-15T20:22:00.000-05:002013-04-15T20:22:11.273-05:00Working Out and PrayerA few weeks ago <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2013/01/going-to-gym-is-great-for-your-body-but.html" target="_blank">I blogged about working out</a>, and how I've started enjoying going to the gym.<div>
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The thing is, sometimes I don't. Sometimes I have absolutely no desire to get out of bed, lace up my tennis shoes, and head to the gym. Sometimes the elliptical machine is pure drudgery. There are even times that I'm literally angry about the fact that my sleep is being interrupted. And I don't get angry easily, Internet.</div>
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Usually, I have to do something to get my mind off working out. It always includes music and lately it has also included prayer. Somewhere along the line, I got the idea to make a list of 30 things to pray for during my workout - 1 for each minute. I have a note on my phone that I update from time to time. The last few minutes are all more specific prayer requests from the previous week's conversations. The first few minutes rarely change.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen5lUfzA0ZbTMnmxT1S88fk8Eco1w0quNZmIn74dDxu-gJEEtUkAZuQ0M34iWNDDuN_T32yj4_H3FvGtojQf_TySkuMP3HDbQsMq1ec-OTlSRJ9Lv-9SBhvyc82ClpKqBEIJT-8VnmS4/s1600/IMG_20130415_201218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhen5lUfzA0ZbTMnmxT1S88fk8Eco1w0quNZmIn74dDxu-gJEEtUkAZuQ0M34iWNDDuN_T32yj4_H3FvGtojQf_TySkuMP3HDbQsMq1ec-OTlSRJ9Lv-9SBhvyc82ClpKqBEIJT-8VnmS4/s320/IMG_20130415_201218.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This gives me something to focus on instead of the fact that I don't want to work out. It also helps keep my mind from wandering while praying. Granted, it still wanders. Some minutes get skipped because I lose track of time. Some only get a short prayer and then I'm back to rocking out to my music. Regardless, it gives me a great workout partner for those times when it's just me and the treadmill. I encourage you to try it, and I hope you love it as much as I do....and if you have anything you want me to pray about during my morning workouts, let me know. I'd love to add you to the list.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-29660343202974833042013-04-02T22:14:00.001-05:002013-04-02T22:14:06.806-05:00The part of singleness no one tells you about....There are times in my life that I absolutely love being single. I have an entire list in my journal of reasons why I love singleness. They include....<br />
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"Being able to sleep however I want."<br />
"Eating cereal for dinner and not worrying about making someone else's meal."<br />
"Getting to choose the radio station, TV channel, and things of that sort."<br />
"Naming my own pets."<br />
"No real reason to shave my legs."<br />
"Being able to use all the closets in the house."<br />
"No one hears me talking in my sleep, so they can't use what I say against me."<br />
"Making my own decisions."<br />
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That last one seems like a good thing, but sometimes I realize it makes life really hard. I love being able to choose my own paint colors or social events, but when it comes to life decisions, it's not so fun. Big decisions like buying a house, getting another degree, changing jobs, etc, are really tough in their own right, but I add a degree of complexity to it with my singleness.<br />
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Sure, I can go out and buy a house, but what if I meet the man of my dreams next month and he owns a house? I could easily go get my doctorate, but why would I incur thousands of dollars of debt, if I'm going to get married in the next few years and want to stay home with kids? It's a whole different take on "what if?" It's more concrete than just worrying about things that could possible happen because odds are, if you are single, you will get married, but that "when" question is always lingering.<br />
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It could be tomorrow. It could be next year. It could be never. So do I just continue making life decisions with no regards to my future family, or do I let it paralyze me from living life now? I know there must be a balance, but what is it?<br />
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I know it all comes down to trusting God's timing. I'm extremely grateful that I get to learn this lesson through singleness, but that doesn't make it an easy lesson to learn. I have to trust that God knows who, when, and where. I have to live my life today. It's amazing when you think about it that our days are cut into 24 hours. It just shows that God gives us exactly what we can handle. It's His design. I don't have to know about tomorrow. I've been given today.<br />
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So my decisions need not be my own. They are made by taking steps based on prayer, wisdom, and counsel. It doesn't make it any easier, but it does bring comfort.<br />
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"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." -Proverbs 3:5<br />
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You know, it's funny. So many times, I try to blog a rant that I'm having in my head, and then I get to writing about it, and it turns into a personal Come to Jesus Moment. I honestly expected to sit here and tell you about the perils of being single, but my fingers had different plans. Yesterday, I planned to tell you about gaining weight, but I took a totally different path once I got to writing. I love that about my blog, you never know where it's going to go.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-67553777973979911032013-04-01T21:29:00.000-05:002013-04-01T21:36:38.953-05:00Weight Loss Episode 16It's been a month since I wrote a weight loss post. Tonight I finally went back to the scale, and yes, I've gained a little --- 2.4 pounds to be exact. Which honestly is not that much weight. I easily could have gained a dozen pounds, and I think the only thing that kept me from that was my <a href="http://confessionsofjenny.blogspot.com/2013/01/going-to-gym-is-great-for-your-body-but.html" target="_blank">dedication to the gym</a>. <br />
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Regardless, when trying to lose weight, the last thing you want to do is gain weight. It's moments like these that I have to remind myself that it's just a number. Sure, it's a little indication of my health. No, it's not good on my heart and joints. Yes, I would like to weigh less. In the end though, it's a number.<br />
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I'm reminded of a quote from my very favorite book, <i>The Little Prince.</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: ARIAL;">Grown-ups like numbers. When you tell them about a new friend, they never ask questions about what really matters. They never ask: "What does his voice sound like?" "What games does he like best?" "Does he collect butterflies?". They ask: "How old is he?" "How many brothers does he have?" "How much does he weigh?" "How much money does his father make?" Only then do they think they know him</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: ARIAL; font-size: x-small;">. </span></blockquote>
We do like numbers. In the last 2 days alone, I've been asked 9 times how much weight I've lost. Which doesn't bother me in the least, but it does make me wonder what they thought of me before the weight loss. Did they think I was ugly? Do they think I still have a lot of weight to lose? What will they say if I'm not able to keep the weight off? Don't get me wrong. I know the people asking were simply curious, but if I place my value in their hands, I'm going to come up short.<br />
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I've lost 64 pounds overall. My Easter dress this year was 4 full sizes smaller than the one I wore 2 years ago. My waist is 8 inches smaller. All of these are simply numbers, ones that I'm quite proud of, but what I don't talk about are the other things I've lost. I've lost feeling sorry for myself because I was the bigger girl. I've lost hiding behind my weight because it's easier. I've lost my disdain for trying on new clothing. And most of all, I've lost placing my value into the hands of others. I'm still working on shedding some of this excess, but I'm learning slowly.<br />
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So here we are. I know this isn't an easy post to read. It requires me to be very vulnerable and hits a little too close to home. I really don't want to write it, but I think it's important because our value comes from God, and not from a number on the scale, a number on a tag, a number on a paycheck, a number on driver's license or a number on a grade card. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says, "You were bought with a price, therefore honor God with your bodies."<br />
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When I take the time to step away from the scale and think about my value in Christ, I realize that I want to become healthier because it honors my creator. I want to be able to serve Him until I'm double and triple the age of those around me. I want to be healthy enough to do whatever He calls me to do. I don't want my ministry weakened because of my fitness. In the verse above, Paul is specifically talking about sexual sin, but I think it applies to all areas of the body.<br />
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I could weigh 450 pounds and eat nothing but greasy, fried food all day long, and God would love me just the same as when I am at a healthy weight and working out everyday. My value in His eyes would not change, so we honor God with our bodies <i>because</i> He values us, not to make Him value us. You don't buy a $40,000 sports car just to let it sit in the yard and rust. You take care of it. Clean it. Maintain it. God put value in me by buying me with a price, therefore I'm going to honor Him with all I have, including my body.<br />
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It's not about the number I see on the scale, it's about continuing to get healthy, so I can serve Him better. Sometimes when I gain, I just have to take a step back to remember why I'm doing all of this in the first place, so thanks for listening as I walk through that process.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-17494507588229148582013-03-24T17:16:00.002-05:002013-03-24T17:16:44.061-05:00Ben + Cassi<div style="text-align: center;">
Yesterday, I was extremely blessed to photograph my dear friends' wedding. I've been friends with Ben for nearly 5 years thanks to <a href="http://raylenenicole.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Raylene</a> & Scott. We've gone on many road trips and gotten in many arguments over board games. (I hate so much to admit this, but usually, he was the right one.) Cassi and I connected in high school. She was in my squad in marching band, and we re-connected a little over 2 years ago through church. In the mean time, we've all been friends spending many nights eating dinner at my house, playing a ton of volleyball, and of course, more board games. Last summer, Ben decided to take his friendship with Cassi to another level. Yesterday, they made the ultimate commitment, and I got to photograph the entire thing.</div>
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First, let's talk about Cassi's dress. Her sister made the whole thing! The lace came from her grandma's dress. She also made all 6 bridesmaids dresses. So much talent!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPCXupf9Su9i1RUls9_ylkJO4jvQ8OhRmQ-YbAQjT-CnJ_nZhr7ZDI2WZCcPB3QlMi2UnV5E_NdXvtxDDdyaZYzH2nURlAsldMPVm36W6RDzk-sXhyTtIhfuDpsyynZsvzrvxbm2qZQ0/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKPCXupf9Su9i1RUls9_ylkJO4jvQ8OhRmQ-YbAQjT-CnJ_nZhr7ZDI2WZCcPB3QlMi2UnV5E_NdXvtxDDdyaZYzH2nURlAsldMPVm36W6RDzk-sXhyTtIhfuDpsyynZsvzrvxbm2qZQ0/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtja-1hqDV1HTaEgsoTWYmVIlahQmVj-O8O0WGf3jv_ZT5RDIBx20pPMINzNjhNc-II9MGK6XaiUp6gTMgNEYr0KXmDubvShKahF5mjRuSxTx4yOTBXu_6xfFw6P9cryM9Dr0xrgzkR9s/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtja-1hqDV1HTaEgsoTWYmVIlahQmVj-O8O0WGf3jv_ZT5RDIBx20pPMINzNjhNc-II9MGK6XaiUp6gTMgNEYr0KXmDubvShKahF5mjRuSxTx4yOTBXu_6xfFw6P9cryM9Dr0xrgzkR9s/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EJojBbQzBtTWUeJ08H70LBRIIhEfcE6hnbaMu0XU7T26qPBuLVTWka7r_6I0G1EoSX1LWKoaqXj-gS8qpCSEejiuS_I6atBXF6tO0-bBP_K8FH8Czk8tRcDTde8qhCMS22OIckIDJzQ/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0EJojBbQzBtTWUeJ08H70LBRIIhEfcE6hnbaMu0XU7T26qPBuLVTWka7r_6I0G1EoSX1LWKoaqXj-gS8qpCSEejiuS_I6atBXF6tO0-bBP_K8FH8Czk8tRcDTde8qhCMS22OIckIDJzQ/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let's talk about the ring. One day in September, my friend Raylene and I were babysitting together. Afterward, we were at lunch when Ben called her, and said we could go see the ring he was thinking about buying Cassi. Ray and I can't say no when it comes to anything dealing with weddings, so we hopped in the car to go meet them. It was such a fun day, and we could tell that Ben was head over heels for Cassi at that point. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctMrhOpll1eTBpREq5rxxcPkuvqMX5iDpH0dsFMLP2VPJ7xcGu5vXT96dT66TCPPiOlv-9JsWQo9WAdix-S-m01b16WMKGhEntgGD1veXFKzqw7l0pNQzZ7Ac5MyBzf-IwfCg7aTjyBU/s1600/20120908_153239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgctMrhOpll1eTBpREq5rxxcPkuvqMX5iDpH0dsFMLP2VPJ7xcGu5vXT96dT66TCPPiOlv-9JsWQo9WAdix-S-m01b16WMKGhEntgGD1veXFKzqw7l0pNQzZ7Ac5MyBzf-IwfCg7aTjyBU/s640/20120908_153239.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo was taken while ring shopping. Scott is standing in for Cassi, so Ben can practice.</td></tr>
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Cassi picked out the wrap to go around the three stone ring Ben picked, and I absolutely love it. It's so unique and classic.</div>
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Hands down my favorite part of photographing the wedding day is getting to witness the first look. It's such a wonderful and real moment for the bride and groom. </div>
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The bridal party was fantastic. They put up with me taking them out in chilly weather just to have some natural-light photos. The boys moved benches for me. The girls didn't complain too much about the wind. The bride and groom even trekked over to some train tracks for me. It was great.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzYenGRXN3BeGVzohyphenhyphenL9ZlpN9_d4AP7ev8bXH_LDV35waWEKB2gv-tO2_sOTDX_QhtheOQI_hYFU1D-AKRU0Mps3jaRd1pd80KV5ApZhsWciCUeby4FVGNQJ73cZXkJyNLNS8_Uf-BiU/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzYenGRXN3BeGVzohyphenhyphenL9ZlpN9_d4AP7ev8bXH_LDV35waWEKB2gv-tO2_sOTDX_QhtheOQI_hYFU1D-AKRU0Mps3jaRd1pd80KV5ApZhsWciCUeby4FVGNQJ73cZXkJyNLNS8_Uf-BiU/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-1-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A great thing about photographing friends weddings is you get to spend time with friends all day. And yesterday was extra-awesome because Bryce came in from Hawaii to stand by Ben. These two have been friends for ages, and they can make me laugh like no one else. Aren't they so handsome? </div>
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Plus I get to spend the entire day with my fabulous second-shooter, Cherish, who happens to be Bryce's sister. One day I'll blog about how Cherish and I connected because it's a pretty good story. We've been through so many weddings together, and now she's getting married in September.</div>
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A few more of my favorite shots from the day...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajaZv1kOHrvXuGoIyPjCJM5A7tGzGrxGuoGfCLIZ1wcSxn60ZaVS4nQmc1ZV_PV5iP1he-83f6OSG1FqxBu-Dyq4OYZ_j44_KMOxNEolK9Rz6PJytTAF2FNqdOpVnb_w-Mwk-RQfSYzA/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajaZv1kOHrvXuGoIyPjCJM5A7tGzGrxGuoGfCLIZ1wcSxn60ZaVS4nQmc1ZV_PV5iP1he-83f6OSG1FqxBu-Dyq4OYZ_j44_KMOxNEolK9Rz6PJytTAF2FNqdOpVnb_w-Mwk-RQfSYzA/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-35.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Cherish had a cool vantage point for the communion. I wish I had room to show you all of her shots.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozt3MJa5ZBgwnN-FqJz4vy1bMgqamE1MuDk11eycPLmOg0IXONmLa0Ezf5T164sh0Xt6V76bQh1ZczcI7bmmrRV2r6AlQo4k8wtRrv68OaapI4aUwZaIjJc0JOc_SmHDzTFFmaFTG9V0/s1600/Ben+and+Cassi-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozt3MJa5ZBgwnN-FqJz4vy1bMgqamE1MuDk11eycPLmOg0IXONmLa0Ezf5T164sh0Xt6V76bQh1ZczcI7bmmrRV2r6AlQo4k8wtRrv68OaapI4aUwZaIjJc0JOc_SmHDzTFFmaFTG9V0/s640/Ben+and+Cassi-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I am so thankful that I got to be part of this day. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the flowers, and the dresses, and the location. We forget that a wedding day is so much more than that. It's the start of a new family. It's a huge commitment to love and living life together, and I'm so lucky that I get to photograph that. </div>
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Here's the video montage if you want to see more photos:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ECyaViQMpF8" width="420"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-29983554162129216092013-03-17T18:32:00.002-05:002013-03-17T18:32:55.963-05:00Post Cards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbkPblHn9YSV-muNW1emZrvRMpOFOu3KeN-tUVV9emagJJfDY1qtcHnOcOIRwacH32cYDMHThYSSbVfqaTzH2mn6QKdDJqQRQ-odlEL1DFhQ27I58o6zmFXGksKj-0BS3VFmjr9HkqbQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.08.42+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbkPblHn9YSV-muNW1emZrvRMpOFOu3KeN-tUVV9emagJJfDY1qtcHnOcOIRwacH32cYDMHThYSSbVfqaTzH2mn6QKdDJqQRQ-odlEL1DFhQ27I58o6zmFXGksKj-0BS3VFmjr9HkqbQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.08.42+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvQkmdaPZmSsC6BTObukkSm7BuXtnSYoXN8JV2xuKg_-i7hxuRiu-t-QZZfmFSPHOPZKYKTyMU56kp-dWYmn-Q4uPnCmGZzRYz2R-sAUJicF-h4wpn2nncG30XYlhf4gXI8wfvgHY-6w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.14.46+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTvQkmdaPZmSsC6BTObukkSm7BuXtnSYoXN8JV2xuKg_-i7hxuRiu-t-QZZfmFSPHOPZKYKTyMU56kp-dWYmn-Q4uPnCmGZzRYz2R-sAUJicF-h4wpn2nncG30XYlhf4gXI8wfvgHY-6w/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.14.46+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S-STaZe_aXmhhguqgiwDjYUhjXWEs1HmYKCzXuceSBYzvB4X4eeCbRF3rzXYADzEPiwlelSgI2qe1AneN9eqdn_8cfbU5JZUFTv_ml-N7iBnJ87hsww-PnR5kZaNK-n9xnuNcb3xYf8/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.04.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S-STaZe_aXmhhguqgiwDjYUhjXWEs1HmYKCzXuceSBYzvB4X4eeCbRF3rzXYADzEPiwlelSgI2qe1AneN9eqdn_8cfbU5JZUFTv_ml-N7iBnJ87hsww-PnR5kZaNK-n9xnuNcb3xYf8/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.04.52+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4vvcc4DnRnm8AYAL7U9VSEdzbbZdsWXrinp60f0vwMyDvXbOmIbEhdin_enu2OU5de3CHh9nd5dA2Id1_CKe0x8stIGNUhFCIwmXrLonElPNtwHC54D04Z7pYKthH6BKNkzvfTi81Uk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.16.50+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF4vvcc4DnRnm8AYAL7U9VSEdzbbZdsWXrinp60f0vwMyDvXbOmIbEhdin_enu2OU5de3CHh9nd5dA2Id1_CKe0x8stIGNUhFCIwmXrLonElPNtwHC54D04Z7pYKthH6BKNkzvfTi81Uk/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.16.50+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJxoRxjmlc1jr6TZzAXAq4IeXdVYkrBq3JIctDBsz6Y6YOedg_wPR48-eU16TeJXU14VKCWOIQd71SXhW60TBDV_svOYrIefHRIOlg9Ii23DJUkcz2NJyCQ_8Abbx2ZS4Y-ebyzdIgpE/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.23.29+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRJxoRxjmlc1jr6TZzAXAq4IeXdVYkrBq3JIctDBsz6Y6YOedg_wPR48-eU16TeJXU14VKCWOIQd71SXhW60TBDV_svOYrIefHRIOlg9Ii23DJUkcz2NJyCQ_8Abbx2ZS4Y-ebyzdIgpE/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.23.29+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2pRrbMmtPYejXcINpCPILyBfbfLS5AQy-IjtmkaCuA59GTAdbqIfQSSe2fgtR7wunt03okgeNCFiGSVMwHMcEFXvyBWvYjC3WM-wGiaU6E7gCyNgYygsd5F5jlgPLJ4lWWge0pXUWmA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.28.43+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2pRrbMmtPYejXcINpCPILyBfbfLS5AQy-IjtmkaCuA59GTAdbqIfQSSe2fgtR7wunt03okgeNCFiGSVMwHMcEFXvyBWvYjC3WM-wGiaU6E7gCyNgYygsd5F5jlgPLJ4lWWge0pXUWmA/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.28.43+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TFC7eg16rcxxuKKAZs9zo3L0K7-Ak4laxmMldFW5tzQegxZcWKY8LtWNYtG2MDOO9tnqOf3oevzZ0YxS902Xp3gBVjcVHankHhWh1smLxPAA1CjaLPmias-YL-lLpnFfmIXH0mcJy6k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.25.30+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6TFC7eg16rcxxuKKAZs9zo3L0K7-Ak4laxmMldFW5tzQegxZcWKY8LtWNYtG2MDOO9tnqOf3oevzZ0YxS902Xp3gBVjcVHankHhWh1smLxPAA1CjaLPmias-YL-lLpnFfmIXH0mcJy6k/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-03-17+at+6.25.30+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4304024880929170220.post-1808961807318345832013-02-27T07:00:00.000-06:002013-02-27T07:00:00.988-06:00What I Wore Wednesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Something I don't blog about at all is fashion, but the thing is, I really, really, really like clothes. I also really, really, really like changing up my outfits. So it would make sense for me to write about it. However, it includes photos of me, and I try to avoid that as much as possible because I make silly faces when I have a camera on me. Ask <a href="http://raylenenicole.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Raylene</a>. She's Skyped with me enough to know that I have some goofy faces.</div>
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Anyway, one of my favorite blogs, <a href="http://thepleatedpoppy.com/" target="_blank">The Pleated Poppy</a>, does "What I Wore Wednesday" each week, and I've always wanted to participate, so I figure there is no time like the present. You should know, that these pictures come from the last couple of weeks because I keep meaning to participate, and I don't, and then I get snowed in and wear my sweat pants all day. I know, excuses, excuses. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWu5YtTMKEfgBbWjVNO7QNYmIhCUaCzjbyQstO4AoMP-32CMAmyqKWalgvAUK-3SM1oqi6T3V4A1qUS55zOqQkvsStYcuujpAci_jEuEW8VBm30sMXQucHZp6ud_K5EfR8rWzr-O_JsY/s1600/20130212_062513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlWu5YtTMKEfgBbWjVNO7QNYmIhCUaCzjbyQstO4AoMP-32CMAmyqKWalgvAUK-3SM1oqi6T3V4A1qUS55zOqQkvsStYcuujpAci_jEuEW8VBm30sMXQucHZp6ud_K5EfR8rWzr-O_JsY/s640/20130212_062513.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I wore this to work last week. I needed some color that morning - and coffee!</div>
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Scarf - Target</div>
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T-shirt - Lane Bryant</div>
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Cardigan - TJ Maxx</div>
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Pants - TJ Maxx</div>
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Boots - DSW</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtN-AXD1uUjMokJYCn_LkFhV8uDfi7Xh0twJDRF48SArfqQR6lB4OEB_kQ3y9QZOKXuf8cJrwToh6QvUzTuMXN87HBhJbd9Jq50n6QzSo-n8Qm6GeGiVjIB7LBU7Ly-NWwZgWWDC8_pg/s1600/20130205_064614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtN-AXD1uUjMokJYCn_LkFhV8uDfi7Xh0twJDRF48SArfqQR6lB4OEB_kQ3y9QZOKXuf8cJrwToh6QvUzTuMXN87HBhJbd9Jq50n6QzSo-n8Qm6GeGiVjIB7LBU7Ly-NWwZgWWDC8_pg/s640/20130205_064614.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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For the record, the strap you see in this photo is my purse. It's not some forward thinking accessory like I'm sure you all thought.</div>
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Dress - Half of Half</div>
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Cardigan - Lane Bryant</div>
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Belt - Cato</div>
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Boots - DSW</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaZRSiFz4ttIPF669itYF_K2ELHkZTEQ4JvcFUZYu2ES0Ua0hYTrmyx8yFg2N1Jht4QKtYJ7pl-GuBoS5ZQd7mhLmFR8Nd5H6SAa1qD7_jkat7A5RS610unJ6-XZUbyhM1puy0cip-9U/s1600/20121230_093111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiaZRSiFz4ttIPF669itYF_K2ELHkZTEQ4JvcFUZYu2ES0Ua0hYTrmyx8yFg2N1Jht4QKtYJ7pl-GuBoS5ZQd7mhLmFR8Nd5H6SAa1qD7_jkat7A5RS610unJ6-XZUbyhM1puy0cip-9U/s640/20121230_093111.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I love how you all get to see every mirror in my house with these photos.</div>
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Sweater - Old Navy ($5, I might add!)</div>
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Skirt - I don't know. I've had it forever</div>
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Boots - DSW - apparently they're the only boots I own.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhte5eS1nVG2jVqXPU93cTPkDuvUTzKlkO-nn6L6OTsEfPjw2KiXc10YH0MHHXOWS3VkhgTvspGPPBi47mnJ2XtnaU7WORUNnRxmOPMBuPc-BEZWoHq4SmBFOrgUy20auXtSBzGqJqajV0/s1600/20121125_090033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhte5eS1nVG2jVqXPU93cTPkDuvUTzKlkO-nn6L6OTsEfPjw2KiXc10YH0MHHXOWS3VkhgTvspGPPBi47mnJ2XtnaU7WORUNnRxmOPMBuPc-BEZWoHq4SmBFOrgUy20auXtSBzGqJqajV0/s640/20121125_090033.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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See that little flower on my boot? That is meant as a hair accessory. My fabulous sister-in-law gave me a whole box of flowers for Christmas, and she also gave me the fabulous idea of clipping one to my boot to add some pizazz. </div>
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Cardigan - TJ Maxx</div>
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Shirt - Old Navy (I think - it's old)</div>
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Belt - Garage Sale</div>
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Skirt - Old Navy</div>
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Boots - You guessed it, DSW </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZi0Yv1wn3NQciWZgSBMPgtLHmdpLqCtuQJYPmzI2woCSCmEx8lFamLicwiyUNWfBN61ypCi0usUIgfSTyY9NguZZJ3NgCE_kuwppQ9RZAhycgfBZ6uAPOvMKNk7g_hYzKXCHc5HjTiQk/s1600/20121118_092440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZi0Yv1wn3NQciWZgSBMPgtLHmdpLqCtuQJYPmzI2woCSCmEx8lFamLicwiyUNWfBN61ypCi0usUIgfSTyY9NguZZJ3NgCE_kuwppQ9RZAhycgfBZ6uAPOvMKNk7g_hYzKXCHc5HjTiQk/s640/20121118_092440.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is one of my go-to outfits. Denim skirt, cardigan, scarf, boots. It works every time.</div>
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Cardigan - Lane Bryant</div>
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Shirt - Gap</div>
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Skirt - Still don't know</div>
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Boots - Payless</div>
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My goal for next time is to use my real camera, and to take more accessory shots. See, I'm setting goals. This is good. I need you to hold me to it, Internet. You all know how I am with goal-setting!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">:j</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07146842540555594255noreply@blogger.com4